Needle biopsies are commonly obtained from the prostate or liver. They will resemble long, thin cores of tissue. Due to the skinny diameter typical of these specimens, they must be oriented in the same plane, as flat as possible. It is common for multiple-level section protocols to be requested and special stains with these specimens, so select the smallest mold appropriate for the specimen to make placing multiple sections on the same slide easier. It is best to arrange the long strings in parallel, not randomly, with the long strings facing in many directions. The diagonal arrangement of the needle biopsy specimen will reduce the distance the knife blade travels across the specimen, resulting in reduced folds and compression.
