Special Stains

@DrMarkOng

Alcian Blue Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) Alcian Blue/Periodic acid-Schiff (ABPAS)

'Acid' mucins – pale blue Stains glycated compounds magenta, including AB and PAS in combination. Typically used in
Red counterstain glycogen, mucin glycoproteins, basement GI biopsies to identify different mucins.
membrane and fungal walls.

Methenamine/Hexamine Silver Periodic acid methenamine silver (PAMS) Ziehl-Neelsen

(Grocott/Gömöri/Jones, etc.) Combines PA and methenamine silver. A bit Positive – red. Blue counterstain.
Similar to PAS. Positive – black on turquoise like PAS, but silver sharply accentuates For acid­fast bacilli and certain
background. Typically used as fungal stain. basement membrane. Schistosoma species.

Gram Warthin-Starry Modified Giemsa

For classification of bacteria: Positive –brown/black. Yellow counterstain. General tinctorial stain. Typically used
Gram positive – purple Stains Spirochaetes, Helicobacter pylori to identify Helicobacter pylori.
Gram negative – pink and Microsporidia. Metachromatic stain (mast cells – magenta).

Orcein Perls von Kóssa

Stains sulfahydryl groups dark brown: Iron – blue. Silver stain so black/brown is positive (on red
Hepatitis B surface antigen, elastin and Red/pink counterstain. counterstain). Stains PO43­ & CO3­, as
copper­associated protein. surrogate for calcium.
35
Thames Histopathology School Guide 2015/16

Congo Red Reticulin Masson's Trichrome

Amyloid – red (haematoxylin counterstain) Golden brown/black. Nuclei – blue/black;
Eosinophils also stain red. Apple green under Stains reticulin framework. Muscle, erythrocytes and cytoplasm – red;
polarised light (right half of picture) Connective tissue, esp. collagen ­ blue/green.

Elastic van Gieson (EVG) Haematoxylin van Gieson (HVG) Martius Scarlet Blue (MSB)
Elastic fibres – black Elastic fibres – black Red blood cells – yellow; Muscle – red;
Collagen – red, Nuclei – blue Collagen – red, Nuclei – blue Fibrin – red, yellow (early) or blue (old)
Other tissue ­ yellow Other tissue ­ yellow Nuclei – blue/black; Collagen – blue.

Papanicolaou Romanowsky (May-Grünwald-Giemsa/ Giemsa

Cytological stain. Better for nuclear detail. DiffQuik®/Hemacolor®) Preferred stain for haematological cells
Contains haematoxylin, so nuclei blue/black. Cytological stain. Better for cytoplasmic detail. (both cytology and histology).
Keratin – pink to orange. Range of blues and purples. Range of blues and purples.

Azure A Mast cells

Chloracetate esterase Myeloid cells
Chromotrope aniline blue Mallory's hyaline, giant mitochondria
Diastase Enzyme that digests glycogen. Used in conjunction with PAS or ABPAS
Feulgen DNA
Grimelius Silver stain. Argyrophil cells.
Masson-Fontana Silver stain. Argentaffin cells & melanin. Appearance similar to von Kossa.
Picro-Mallory Trichrome Fibrin – clear red, erythrocytes – yellow, connective tissue – blue.
Phosphotungstic acid haematoxylin Muscle – blue-black, connective tissue – pink to red, fibrin/ neuroglia – blue,
Rhodamine Copper – brick red, nuclei – pale blue, bile – green
Sirius Red Collagen (type I – red, type III – green)
Victoria Blue Same as orcein, but blue
Wade-Fite Similar to Ziehl-Neelsen, but gentler. For atypical mycobacteria/leprosy
Auramine Immunoflourescence dye for mycobacteria
Thioflavine T Immunoflourescence dye for amyloid
36