Efficacy of Fixation Using Microwave and Formalin in Oral Autopsy Tissues: A Preliminary Study

Fixation is the first and most critical step in histopathological diagnosis, preventing autolysis and putrefaction while preserving tissue morphology. Conventional formalin fixation provides good cellular preservation but requires prolonged fixation time and poses health hazards. Microwave-assisted isopropyl alcohol fixation offers a rapid, formalin-free alternative that may reduce turnaround time without compromising diagnostic quality, particularly relevant in forensic autopsy tissues prone to rapid autolytic changes. To compare the efficacy of microwave-assisted isopropyl alcohol fixation with conventional formalin fixation in oral autopsy tissues. This study was carried out for a duration of one month. Five paired gingival tissue samples obtained during routine autopsy were fixed using either formalin or microwave-assisted isopropyl alcohol fixation. Slides were evaluated by three trained oral pathologists using predefined histological criteria. Formalin-fixed tissues showed better sectioning quality, whereas microwave-fixed tissues demonstrated superior staining characteristics. Other parameters showed no appreciable differences. Microwave isopropyl alcohol fixation demonstrated comparable efficacy to formalin with superior staining characteristics and reduced turnaround time, highlighting its potential role in forensic histopathology.