PLASTIC EMBEDDING OF CUTANEOUS SPECIMENS - AN IMPORTANT DIAGNOSTIC-AID IN MYCOSIS-FUNGOIDES

A technique for primary plastic embedding for light microscopy was utilized in evaluating plaque lesions in 4 patients with mycosis fungoides and compared to tissues from the same patients embedded in paraffin. Standard 3-mm punch biopsies were utilized. Specimens were fixed in B-5 and embedded in araldite epoxy resin. In specimens from all 4 patients, the cytological details of the mycosis cells were superior in the plastic embedded tissues. This practical and relatively inexpensive method may prove to be a sensitive indicator of mycosis cells in early lesions. This technique also permits the use of a variety of special stains, immunoperoxidase and EM analyses.