Aberrant staining with Grocott's

methenamine silver: utility beyond fungal

organisms
Graduation in Biotechnology
1º year 2019/2020

Joana Tavares Nº2019133755

Beatriz Santos Nº2019133755
 Summary
1. Introduction
2. Materials and methods
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusion
Introduction
• The use of a special stain to visualize fungus microscopically
in tissue was first described by Gomori in 1946 and was later
slightly modified by Grocott in 1955.
• The stain is importante to help detect fungal organisms and
non fungal organisms, often miniscule.

Figure 1. Filamentous morphology of bacteria

Materials and methods
• Samples containing pathogens were identified in the pathology database of Houston
Methodist Hospital.
• All GMS stains were performed in duplicate on 2 cytospin preparations using a standard
staining protocol.
• With Gram staining, two preprations were also performed in duplicate.
• Three cytopathologists reviewed all the cases.

Figure 2. Gram Staining

Results :
Strongyloides stercoralis

Figure 3 Strongyloides stercoralis. A:Papa-nicolaoustain x10; B: GMS stain x20

Internal organs Buccal cavity

 Cytomegaloviros

Figure 4 Cytomegalovirus. The intranuclear viral inclusions were strongly positive for GMS.
Intracytoplasmic inclusions were not present in this case. (A: Papanicolaou stain ×40; B: GMS
stain ×40).
Nocardia species

Figura 5. Nocardia spp. The GMS stain highlighted the filamentous morphology of
partially acid-fast bacteria, Nocardia spp. (A: Fite's stain ×40; B: GMS stain ×40).
Mycobacterium species

Figure 6. Mycobacterium spp. Intracellular Mycobacterium spp. in

macrophages were easily detected with GMS stain (A: Kinyoun's acid-fast
stain ×40; B: GMS stain ×40).
Anthrax-like Bacillus cereus

Figure 7. Anthrax-like Bacillus cereus. Numerous rod-shaped

monomorphic bacteria were seen in the bronchoalveolar lavage
specimen. Central endospores were clearly delineated on GMS
stain (A: Papanicolaou stain ×40; B: GMS stain ×40).
Discussion
-Principles of the GMS stain
-Virally infected cells
-Parasites
-Acid-fast bacill
-Partially acid-fast bacilli
-None acid-fast bacill
-Other GMS-positive entities
Conclusion :
-GMS stain precipitates silver ions within fungal polysaccharide
walls, producing the characteristic black stain seen by light microscopy.

-Over the years, our institution has found that the GMS stain
has also serendipitously been a useful diagnostic adjunct in several cases
containing nonfungal pathogenic organisms
 Bibliography

Wright, A.,et al.(2017). Aberrant staining with Grocott's methenamine

silver: utility beyond fungal organisms, 6(6), 223-227. Retrived from:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221329451730039X?fb
clid=IwAR2qDX4Hk_fS05DNuOw8BfVENaxKQ77_IP9gkLKtZGtyzF9MCF
RAcHT7Qpk#!
 Aberrant staining with Grocott's
methenamine silver: utility beyond fungal
organisms
Graduation in Biotechnology
1º year 2019/2020

Joana Tavares Nº2019133755

Beatriz Santos Nº2019133755