Cytogenetics specimen requirements
General Specimen requirements
All samples MUST be accompanied by a referral form
Haemato-oncology sample referral card
Blood samples – Chromosomes/Karyotype
LITHIUM HEPARIN tube
- Adults 2-5mls, Children 1-2mls, Fetal/Neonates 0.5-1ml
- Blood samples should arrive within 24 hours of collection
- Fetal/Neotatal samples should arrive the same day
Blood samples – Arrays
EDTA tube
- Adults 2-5mls, Children 1-2mls, Fetal/Neonates 0.5-1ml
- Blood samples should arrive within 24 hours of collection
- Fetal/Neotatal samples should arrive the same day
Amniotic Fluid samples
Sterile UNIVERSAL
- 10-20mls, room temperature
- Should arrive within 24 hours - same day preferred
Chorionic Villis (CVS) samples
Transport Medium (supplied by the lab)
- 10-20mgs, room temperature
- Should arrive within 24 hours - same day preferred
Fetal Tissue samples/POC
Cord Blood – 0.5-1ml Paediatric LITHIUM HEPARIN
Placenta – 1 cubic cm, Transport medium
Skin Biopsy – full depth, Transport medium
Spleen/lung/other tissue – 1 cubic cm, Transport medium
- Should arrive within 24 hours
- Do NOT fix these tissues.
Blood should be sent in Streck tubes
Samples need to be kept at room temperature
Skin biopsy sample (adult/child)
Transport Medium (supplied by the lab)
- Skin punch 2 cubic cm
- Should arrive within 24 hours
Bone Marrow
Transport Medium (supplied by the lab), if not available, LITHIUM HEPARIN tube
- 1ml of sample
- Should arrive within 24 hours - same day preferred
Lymph Node
Transport Medium (supplied by the lab)
- 1 cubic cm
- Same day essential
Tumour
Transport Medium (supplied by the lab)
- 1 cubic cm
- Same day essential
Fixed tissue slides
- Formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue in blocks are stable at room temperature and require no special posting.
- FFPE tissue sections mounted on slides need to be in a slide box and packaged with plenty of padding.
Additional samples types may be accepted for analysis. Clinicians are advised to contact the laboratory to discuss specific specimen requirements prior to arranging specimen collection
Last updated:
07-Nov-2018
by Claire Scott.