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Can samples which have been stored in buffered formalin and the moved straight to absolute ethanol be used for histology?
I know that the samples normally need to go through a series of ethanol concentrations (70%, 80%, 90%) for dehydration before they reach absolute ethanol, but can you still use samples that have been immediately immersed in absolute ethanol? Or would the rapid dehydration cause too much distortion?
Can they be used? Sure. How much distortion you get will depend on the tissue type and several other factors. How important that distortion is will depend on what you are trying to measure. "Too much distortion" is a relative term. You can't really know how bad it will be without trying it.
Should this ever be done intentionally? No - there is good reason for using the gradual dehydration steps. I would be really hesitant to do any quantitative analysis or draw any solid conclusions from tissue processed incorrectly, though.
