There appear to be cross-hatching marks on a tissue. What caused this and how is it prevented?

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Multiple Choice

There appear to be cross-hatching marks on a tissue. What caused this and how is it prevented?

Cross-hatching marks come from tissue drying and pulling against a dry surface during grossing. When a sponge used to hold or support the tissue is dry, it draws moisture away and the tissue can desiccate and compress in multiple directions, creating those grid-like lines. Presoaking the sponge in fixative keeps the sponge moist and begins fixation early, which stabilizes the tissue, prevents desiccation, and eliminates the drying artifact. In practice, using dampened or fixative-soaked sponges during grossing is the preventive step. Other common issues like over-staining, incomplete dehydration, or insufficient clearing produce different staining or processing artifacts and don’t explain the cross-hatching pattern.

Cross-hatching marks come from tissue drying and pulling against a dry surface during grossing. When a sponge used to hold or support the tissue is dry, it draws moisture away and the tissue can desiccate and compress in multiple directions, creating those grid-like lines. Presoaking the sponge in fixative keeps the sponge moist and begins fixation early, which stabilizes the tissue, prevents desiccation, and eliminates the drying artifact. In practice, using dampened or fixative-soaked sponges during grossing is the preventive step. Other common issues like over-staining, incomplete dehydration, or insufficient clearing produce different staining or processing artifacts and don’t explain the cross-hatching pattern.

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