Evaluation and comparison of the efficacy of coconut oil as a clearing agent with xylene

Background: Xylene is a routinely used clearing agent in histopathology. It is potentially toxic and flammable in nature. Histotechnicians are routinely exposed to this hazardous chemical. Because xylene is used so pervasively in histopathology, it has always been a concern for pathologists and laboratory workers, as its regular and prolonged exposure have serious health effects. Considering its toxicity, different biocompatible xylene substitutes have been evaluated.

Aim and objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of coconut oil as a clearing agent and compare with xylene.

Materials and methods: Two equal halves of 45 soft-tissue specimens were processed simultaneously in xylene and coconut oil as clearing agents. The xylene-treated specimens and coconut oil-treated specimens were checked for gross and histological features, and a comparison was done between the two groups.

Results: Significant shrinkage was noted in xylene-treated specimens compared to that in coconut oil-treated specimens. No difference was found in either of the sections when checked for staining quality, overall morphological features and cellular details.

Conclusion: It may be substituted for xylene without loss of information.