• Immunofluorescence (IF) studies are part of the work-up for vesiculobullous (blistering) disorders and a few other conditions.  They require special processing.
• If a physician requests IF studies, the biopsy must arrive in transport media (usually called Michel’s media or Zeus’s media) or without fixative.  IF studies cannot be performed on formalin-fixed tissue.  If the biopsy arrives in saline or wrapped in gauze, place it in Michel’s media (kept in the refrigerator).
• The specimen will usually be a punch biopsy.
• If IF is being requested in the evaluation of a non-blistering condition (e.g. vasculitis), you may be asked to bisect the specimen, reserving half for routine processing and half for IF.  Do not bisect a biopsy from a patient with a vesiculobullous disorder!

Submit entirely in transport media.

Internal use only

Received in Michel’s media, labeled _____ and “_____”, is a __ x __ cm punch biopsy of (color) skin.  There is a __ cm _____ (location, color, border) _____ (lesion-- papule, macule, ulcer) on the epidermal surface.  Entirely submitted for immunofluorescence studies in cassette #__.

__ blocks, __ FS (H&E), __ IF