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Quest Diagnostics

Hematopathology

Hematopathology specimen requirements

Specimen FLOW Immunohistochemistry send clinical history Hematopathology consultation send clinical history, CBC, differential PCR RT-PCR
(BCR-ABL, RARA ONLY)		 Cytogenetics chromosome FISH Shipping
Peripheral blood Green-, yellow- or lavender-top tube and 1 fresh smear Not acceptable 1 fresh smear Lavender-top tube 5 mL (1 mL minimum) Lavender-top tube 6 mL (4 mL minimum) Green-top tube 2-5 mL Room temperature within 48 hours
Fresh bone marrow core biopsy RPMI media 1 cm (length) No fixative Place in 10% formalin Place in 10% formalin RPMI media 1 cm (length) Not acceptable RPMI media 1 cm (length) No fixative Room temperature within 48 hours
Bone marrow aspirate Green-top tube 2 mL and at least 1 fresh smear Not acceptable At least 5 fresh smears or green-top tube 2 mL Lavender-top tube 2-5 mL (1 mL minimum) Lavender-top tube 2-5 mL (1 mL minimum) Green-top tube 2-5 mL (1  mL minimum) Room temperature within 48 hours
Fresh tissue biopsy RPMI media 1 cm Place in (length) diced into fine pieces for optimal cell preservation 20 X 20 X 3 mm 10% formalin 1 cm (length), minimum Place in 10% formalin sections no thicker than 0.5 cm Not acceptable RPMI media 1 cm (length) Room temperature within 48 hours
Frozen tissue biopsy Not acceptable Call the laboratory Call the laboratory Snap frozen Not acceptable Not acceptable Dry ice
Fixed paraffin Not acceptable 20 X 20 X 3 mm formalin-fixed only 0.5 X 0.5 X 0.5 cm formalin-fixed only 0.5 X 0.5 X 0.5 cm (B5 un- acceptable) Not acceptable Call the laboratory Room temperature
Body fluids Call the laboratory Call the laboratory Call the laboratory Call the laboratory Call the laboratory Not acceptable Room temperature within 48 hours
  • Yellow-top tube: Acid Citrate Dextrose (ACD) solution A or B - tube must be full
  • Green-top tube: Sodium Heparin
  • Lavender-top tube: EDTA
  • RPMI: tissue culture media (pink)

Send freshly prepared slides with the samples and a copy of the pathologist report.

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Specimen handling

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