Chapter 1 | Introduction to Special Stains - Dako

Introduction to Special Stains Introduction to Special Stains
Table 2. Commonly used special stains.
Special Stain Clinical Application Staining Specificity
Grocott’s Methenamine Silver (GMS) Stain Useful in identifying a variety of pathogenic fungi, including
Aspergillus fumigatus, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Candida
albicans, Coccidioides immitis, Cryptococcus neoformans,
Histoplasma capsulatum, Nocardia asteroids, Pneumocystis
carinii, Pneumocystis Jiroveci (human) and Sporothrix
schenckii; Fig. 6-8
Mayer’s Mucicarmine Stain Detects encapsulated yeast-like fungus Cryptococcus
neofarmans
Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS) Stain Used for the identification of Aspergillus fumigatus,
Blastomyces dermatitidis, Candida albicans, Coccidioides
immitis, Cryptococcus neofarmans, Sporothrix schenckii
Sayeed’s Stain (Schiff’s reagent, 0.5% periodic acid,
Mayer’s hemalum)
Detects H. pylori H. pylori
Steiner & Steiner Staining Method Detects spirochetes and legionella, and pneumophila
bacteria, e.g., Borrelia burgdorferi, H. pylori, Legionella
pneumophila, Treponema pallidum; Fig. 9
Warthin-Starry Stain (these are reduced silver
methods)
For demonstrating connective tissue, muscle, collagen, lipid and fibrin
Identifies Alipia feles, Bartonella henselae, Borrelia burgdorferi,
H. pylori, Legionella pneumophila, Treponema pallidum; Fig. 10
Gomori’s One-Step Trichrome Stain Used for distinguishing collagen and smooth muscle fibers;
Fig.11
Jones’ Basement Membrane
Periodic Schiff-Methenamine Silver (PASM) Stain
Used for the identification of basement membranes (of the
glomerulus in the kidney or in tissue samples); Fig. 12
Masson’s Trichrome Stain (TRI) Used for distinguishing cells from surrounding connective
tissue which has several variants and is probably the
trichrome most used in histopathology. Black nuclei, red
cytoplasm (including muscle), blue or green collagen
(including fine fibers), cartilage and mucus; Fig. 13
Polysaccharide components of the fungal cell wall
Polysaccharides on the capsule
Polysaccharide components of the fungal cell wall
Stains whole organisms
Stains whole organisms
Collagen and smooth muscle fibers
Basement membranes
Muscle, collagen fibers, fibrin and erythrocytes
Special Stain Clinical Application Staining Specificity
Russel-Movat Pentachrome Stain Used for simultaneous demonstration of muscle, elastic
fibers, collagen/reticular fibers, ground substance and
fibrinoid in tissues
Oil Red O and Sudan Black B Stains Used for staining lipids in frozen sections and some
lipoproteins on paraffin sections
Orcein Stain Used for staining elastic fibers Elastic fibers
Lendrum’s Method (Picro-Mallory Stain) Fibrin Fibrin
Phosphotungstic Acid-Hematoxylin (PTAH) Stain Used for demonstrating striated muscle fibers
Also used to stain abnormal neuroglia (reactive astrocytosis)
Silver methods for reticulum and
basement membranes
(e.g., Reticulin/ Nuclear Fast Red Stain)
Used for the identification of reticulin fibers in tissue
samples; Fig.14
Muscle, elastic fibers, collagen/reticular fibers
Lipids, including triglycerides (which necessarily are
neutral). Oil Red O stains only the most hydrophobic
lipids (triglycerides and cholesterol esters). Sudan
Black B stains these and also phospholipids and
sphingomyelins, which are less hydrophobic
Muscle fibers, collagen
Reticulin (collagen with high level of hexosylation,
including Type IV)
6 | special stains and H & e special stains and H & e | 7
Verhoeff Stain
Van Gieson Stain
For detecting nucleic acids
Used for the identification of elastic laminae and fibers
in tissues; Fig.15
The Verhoeven Stain is specific for elastic fibers.
The Van Gieson Stain is specific for collagen.
Verhoeff’s iron-hematoxylin stains elastin and
nuclei black. Van Gieson’s picro-fuchsine gives
yellow cytoplasm and red collagen fibers
Ethyl Green-Pyronine Stain Used for differential demonstration of DNA and RNA A buffered mixture of the two dyes gives blue-green
DNA and red RNA (rRNA in cytoplasm, nucleoli)
Feulgen Stain Used for the identification of chromosomal material or
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA in paraffin-embedded tissue
or cell specimens); Fig.16
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)