RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Use of tissue ink to maintain identification of individual cores on needle biopsies of the prostate JF Journal of Clinical Pathology JO J Clin Pathol FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Association of Clinical Pathologists SP 1055 OP 1057 DO 10.1136/jcp.2008.058545 VO 61 IS 9 A1 P B Singh A1 N K Saw A1 A Haq A1 R A Blades A1 F L Martin A1 S S Matanhelia A1 C M Nicholson YR 2008 UL http://jcp.bmj.com/content/61/9/1055.abstract AB Background: There is an increasing necessity to extract the maximum amount of information, beyond even a cancer diagnosis, from prostate biopsies. Thus, maintaining site-specific information regarding individual biopsy cores might be critical.Aim: To evaluate the applicability of employing tissue ink to maintain the identity of individual prostatic biopsy cores.Method: In this ongoing study, 12 core prostate biopsy specimens are sent to the laboratory in individual pots labelled according to anatomical site. The specimens are placed in two separate multi-compartment cassettes. They are inked with different colours to identify the site of origin from each lobe. The cassettes are then processed with a single paraffin block for each side; the six cores from each side can be mounted on a single slide.Results: The different colours used adhere well to the biopsy cores, thus maintaining the identity of each core. Six cores from each side are embedded in a single paraffin block and examined on a single slide, making it cost-effective, while maintaining high quality, accurate histopathological information.Conclusion: Differential inking of prostate biopsy cores is an easily applicable method that is cost-effective and provides tumour location information. Prostate biopsy data archived to maintain individual core information might be used to determine applicability of such information to predict extra-capsular extension by correlating with imaging and radical prostatectomy findings, and for treatment planning.