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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.

NIPT/NIPD samples

 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.