The Neuropathology Service is based at the Western General Hospital. For all enquiries phone the laboratory on 31963.
 
Contact the laboratory (phone 31963) to arrange urgent frozen sections.
 
Muscle Biopsy
Please telephone the Western General Hospital Pathology Laboratory for advice Tel: WGH 31970 or 31963 (RIE Tie line 791).

Peripheral Nerve Biopsies
Please telephone the Neuropathology Laboratory for advice. Tel: WGH 31962
 
Conjunctival biopsies
Please telephone the Western General Hospital Pathology Laboratory for advice. Tel: WGH 31970 or 31963 (RIE Tie line 791). 
 

CSF samples

1 – 10 mls of CSF should be sent directly to the laboratory in a universal container. Hand
the sample to a member of laboratory staff to be dealt with immediately. If the sample is taken out of normal working hours, place in a refrigerator until the next morning. Do not take samples late on Fridays or prior to public holidays. Please note there is no on call service for these specimens.
 

Surgical biopsies

General neuropathology surgical biopsies (including eye / orbit biopsies)  should be placed directly into an ample volume of formalin and sent to the laboratory. Store at room temperature prior to uplift.
 

Muscle biopsy

All muscle biopsies must be arranged with the laboratory prior to removal. Always give a
contact name and number. If possible schedule the operation for a morning, to allow time
for the necessary specialised laboratory techniques.
 
Take a cylinder of muscle at least 1 cms long, 1 cm diameter. Wrap in plastic cling film or
similar, and place directly in a universal container. If sending from outside WGH, place the
universal in crushed ice for transport. Do not place the sample in formalin. The specimen must be sent immediately to the pathology department to arrive no later than 3pm. Directions for couriers/taxis are given in appendix XI. Instruct the porter/courier/taxi driver to hand the specimen to a member of laboratory staff on arrival.
 
External referrals may be made at the request of the reporting neuropathologist, or by the
clinician overseeing patient care and management.
 
Consultant neuropathologist referrals: cases are recorded as being sent to appropriate
laboratory by mail secretary, and tissue is sent with a covering letter. Any report received
is incorporated into a supplementary report.

Clinician referrals: a clinician may request a referral to a NCG (Neuromuscular Centre
Newcastle). The clinician is responsible for contacting the centre and completing all the
appropriate paperwork. When instructed by the clinician, the neuropathology department
will forward the required material to the NCG centre, as per the transport instructions
provided by the NCG centre. Reports are sent directly to the clinician, and copied to the
neuropathologist. The NCG centre report is scanned and linked to the Lothian and Borders
UB case number. Responsibility for tracking, interpretation and reporting of the results of
such tests lies with the requesting clinician, not with this department.
 

Nerve biopsy

Nerve biopsies must be sent unfixed to the laboratory to arrive before 4:00pm. Lay a
section of nerve at least 3cm long on a piece of smooth card, place directly in a universal
container and send immediately to the laboratory. If sending from outside WGH place
universal in crushed ice for transport. Do not place the sample in formalin. Directions for couriers/taxis are given in appendix XI. The specimen must be handed to a member of
laboratory staff on arrival.
 
Reports
The specialised nature of some neuropathology samples require longer turn around times
than normal:
Routine surgical biopsies:    report within 5 working days
Muscle biopsies:                   report within 10 working days
Nerve biopsies:                     report within 10 working days
Post mortem CNS studies:   report within 3 months
 
Turnaround times will increase where there is a need to perform further investigations.