Results are available 5 to 7 business days after receipt of the specimen.

Monday through Friday.

Information and instructions for the Physician or Investigator. General specimen information (to be performed for all EM specimens. Instructions for special handling for specific specimens appears below).

• Request form: Complete a Laboratory Requisition (Opens in a new window) to accompany the tissue. Information must include: patient name, medical record number, and account number (or appropriate billing information), surgical site, the location to which the report is to be sent, and the name of the requestor. Include clinical history to support the interpretation of the examination.
• Size: each sample placed into EM fixative should be approximately 1 mm thick in the smallest dimension.
• Fixative: obtain EM Glutaraldehyde fixative available from the Pathology Lab, 503-494-5755.
• Label the specimen container with the patients name and medical record number.
• Handle the specimen with extreme care. DO NOT use forceps or any other instrument that will appy extreme force producing a crush artifact.
• Place the sample in EM fixative as soon as possible after it has been excised.
• Transport the specimen promptly to the Pathology Department, Dillehunt Hall, Room 5022. Specimens requiring special attention can be delivered directly to the EM Lab, Multnomah Pavilion, Suite 0410, 503-494-8402.

Special Specimen Handling Information

• Skeletal Muscle:
  • Non-mitochondrial myopathies: wrap fresh tissue in saline-moistened gauze sponge, place into dry plastic cup and send or deliver immediately to Surgical Pathology, Dillehunt Hall, Room 5022. Notify muscle lab, 503-494-6781, of impending specimen delivery. Muscle lab personnel will prepare portion for EM.
  • Mitochrondrial myopathies: With a sharp blade, remove a longitudinally-oriented portion, of approximately 1 mm in smallest dimension. Maintaining orientation, place the gently stretched tissue on a strip of filter paper before immersing in EM fixative. Place tissue into a labeled vial containing no less than 1 ml of EM fixative. Filter paper strips can be obtained from the muscle lab, 503-494-6781 or the EM lab, 503-494-8402.
• Needle biopsies: Place tissue directly into a labeled vial containing no less than 1 ml of EM fixative. The Pathology Department and EM personnel will handle further processing of tissues.
• Surgical biopsies (except skeletal muscle): Slice tissue representative of the lesions with a new blade so that the smallest dimension is approximately 1 mm. For elastic tissues such as skin, place the gently stretched tissue on a strip of filter paper before immersing in EM fixative. Place tissue into a labeled vial containing no less than 1 ml of EM fixative. Filter paper strips can be obtained from the muscle lab, 503-494-6781 or the EM lab, 503-494-8402.
• Blood sample (platelets and leukocytes) Draw 4mL of blood into an 8.5mL ACD (yellow) vacutainer tube. Stopper, invert gently 4-5 times, and promptly deliver to the Surgical Pathology lab (Dillehunt Hall, 5th Floor).
• Nerve: Wrap fresh tissue in saline-moistened gauze sponge, place into dry plastic cup and send or deliver immediately to Surgical Pathology, Dillehunt Hall, Room 5022. Notify muscle lab, 503-494-6781, of impending specimen delivery. Muscle lab personnel will prepare portion for EM.

EM