Tissue microarrays--big potential from small samples (review).

For well over a century, pathologists have used formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues for microscopic examination and subsequent diagnosis of human disease. However, this type of approach is usually limited to the analysis and/or detection of one or two specific features on a single slide from an individual section. This area of histological study has been revolutionised by the development of tissue microarrays (TMAs). This review describes the development and use of TMAs and discusses their possible applications to clinical oncological practice.