Special Stains Identification

Identify the appearance, control tissues, and purposes of special stains in histotechnology. Turn on definitions first and answer with term!!!!!

Acid-Fast Bacteria (AFB) → light blue

Identify

Acid-Fast Bacteria (AFB)

Varying shades of red on a light blue/green background

Tissue infected with acid-fast bacteria

Control tissue for Acid-Fast Bacteria (AFB) stain(s)

Acid-Fast Bacteria (AFB) → light green

Identify

Identify acid-fast bacteria infection

Purpose of Acid-Fast Bacteria (AFB) stain

Alcian Blue/PAS (with or without alpha-amylase)

Identify

Alcian Blue/PAS (with or without alpha-amylase)

Mixtures of acidic (blue) and neutral (magenta) mucins

Neutral mucins → stomach, prostate

Acidic mucins → skin, umbilical cord

Control tissue(s) for Alcian Blue/PAS stain (with or without alpha-amylase)

Stomach, colon, or umbilical cord

Control tissues for Alcian Blue/PAS with alpha-amylase

Identify acidic and neutral mucins

Purpose of Alcian Blue/PAS stain

Identify acidic and neutral mucins and remove any glycogen from the tissue

Purpose of Alcian Blue/PAS stain with alpha-amylase

Alcian Blue/PAS/Hematoxylin

Identify

Alcian Blue/PAS/Hematoxylin

Mixtures of acidic (blue) and neutral (magenta) mucins with nuclei (black/purple)

Identify acidic and neutral mucins

Purpose of Alcian Blue/PAS/Hematoxylin

Neutral mucins → stomach prostate

Acidic mucins → skin, umbilical cord

Weakly-sulfated epithelial mucin → large intestine

Control tissues for Alcian Blue/PAS/Hematoxylin

Alcian Blue pH 2.5

Identify

Small intestine, umbilical cord, colon

Control tissues for Alcian Blue pH 2.5

Alcian Blue pH 2.5

Nuclei (red to pink), cytoplasm (pale pink), and weakly sulfated acidic mucins (dark blue)

Colloidal Iron

Identify

Colloidal Iron

Nuclei (light pink), cytoplasm (light pink), carboxylated and sulfated mucopolysaccharides and glycoprotein mucin (dark blue)

Small intestine

Control tissues for Colloidal Iron

Identify carboxylated and sulfated mucopolysaccharides and glycoprotein mucins

Purpose of Colloidal Iron

Benhold/Alkaline Congo Red

Identify

Benhold/Alkaline Congo Red

Light → nuclei (blue) and cytoplasm/other materials (pink)

Polarized → object of concern (bright green), everything else dark

Tissue with amyloidosis or heart tissue

Control tissues for Benhold/Alkaline Congo Red

Identify amyloids in tissue

Purpose of Benhold/Alkaline Congo Red

Elastic

Identify

Elastic

E. fibers (black), nuclei (blue/black), collagen (red), other elements (yellow)

Cross section of artery, appendix, and skin

Control tissues for Elastic

Identify elastic fibers in tissue

Purpose of Elastic

Feulgen

Identify

Feulgen

DNA (magenta), background (light green)

Aneuploidy (abnormal) breast tumor

Control tissues for Feulgen

Identify DNA

Purpose of Feulgen

Giemsa

Identify

Giemsa

Mast cell granules (purple), basophils (purple), eosinophils (bright pink), lymphocytes (blue)

Tissue containing mast cells

Control tissues for Giemsa

Identify hematopoietic cells in tissue

Purpose of Giemsa

Gomori’s Blue Trichrome

Identify

Gomori’s Blue Trichrome

Cytoplasm (red), fibrin (pink), collagen (blue), nuclei (blue/black), RBCs (red)

Uterus, kidney, and liver

Control tissues of Gomori’s Blue Trichrome

Identify connective tissue in tissue samples

Purpose of Gomori’s Blue Trichrome

Gomori’s Green Trichrome

Identify

Gomori’s Green Trichrome

Cytoplasm (red), fibrin (pink), collagen (green), nuclei (blue/black), RBCs (red)

Uterus, small intestine, liver, appendix, and fallopian tube

Control tissues for Gomori’s Green Trichrome

Identify connective tissue in tissue samples

Purpose of Gomori’s Green Trichrome

Gram

Identify

Gram

Positive (blue), negative (red) organisms, background (blue/green)

Tissues containing both G pos. and neg. bacteria

Control tissues for Gram

Identify G pos. and neg. microorganisms in tissues

Purpose of Gram

Gram Yellow

Identify

Gram Yellow

Positive (dark blue), negative (light pink/magenta) organisms, background (yellow)

Tissues containing both G pos. and neg. bacteria

Control tissues for Gram Yellow

Identify G pos. and neg. microorganisms in tissues

Purpose of Gram Yellow

Grocott’s Methenamine Silver (GMS)

Identify

Grocott’s Methenamine Silver (GMS)

Fungi (black), Pneumocytis (black), background (light green)

Tissues with Aspergillus, Candida or Pneumocytis

Control tissues for Grocott’s Methenamine Silver (GMS)

Identify fungal organisms and Pneumocytis jirovecii

Purpose of Grocott’s Methenamine Silver (GMS)

Grocott’s Methenamine Silver (GMS) Eosin

Identify

Grocott’s Methenamine Silver (GMS) Eosin

Fungi (black), Pneumocytis (black), background (pink)

Tissues with Aspergillus, Candida or Pneumocytis

Control tissues for Grocott’s Methenamine Silver (GMS) Eosin

Identify fungal organisms and Pneumocytis jirovecii

Purpose of Grocott’s Methenamine Silver (GMS) Eosin

Iron

Identify

Iron

Ferric iron (blue), nuclei (red), background (pink)

Spleen or liver with hemosiderosis

Control tissues for Iron

Identify ferric iron deposits in tissues

Purpose of Iron

Jenner-Wright Giemsa

Identify

Jenner-Wright Giemsa

Nuclei (blue), eosinophils (bright pink), WBCs (pink/gray/blue depending on type and development)

Bone marrow and spleen

Control tissues for Jenner-Wright Giemsa

Differentiate hematopoietic cells in bone marrow tissue samples

Purpose of Jenner-Wright Giemsa

Jones’ Basement Membrane (PAS-M)

Identify

Jones’ Basement Membrane (PAS-M)

Basement membrane (black), nuclei (red), background (pink)

Kidney with glomeruli

Control tissues for Jones’ Basement Membrane (PAS-M)

Identify basement membranes

Purpose of Jones’ Basement Membrane (PAS-M)

Jones’ Basement Membrane (PAS-M) H&E

Identify

Jones’ Basement Membrane (PAS-M) H&E

Basement membrane (black), nuclei (blue), background (pink)

Kidney with glomeruli

Control tissues for Jones’ Basement Membrane (PAS-M) H&E

Identify basement membranes

Purpose of Jones’ Basement Membrane (PAS-M) H&E

Jones’ Basement Membrane (PAS-M) Light Green

Identify

Jones’ Basement Membrane (PAS-M) Light Green

Basement membrane (black), background (light green)

Kidney with glomeruli

Control tissues for Jones’ Basement Membrane (PAS-M) Light Green

Identify basement membranes

Purpose of Jones’ Basement Membrane (PAS-M) Light Green

Masson’s Trichrome

Identify

Masson’s Trichrome

Muscle fibers (red), fibrin (pink), collagen (blue), nuclei (blue/black), RBCs (red)

Uterus, small intestine, liver, appendix, or fallopian tube

Control tissues for Masson’s Trichrome

Identify connective tissue and muscle in tissue samples

Purpose of Masson’s Trichrome

Mucicarmine

Identify

Mucicarmine

Mucin (pink), nuclei (black), background (yellow)

Small intestine, colon, or appendix

Control tissues for Mucicarmine

Identify epithelial mucins

Purpose of Mucicarmine

Orcein

Identify

Orcein

Elastin fibers/Hep. B (dark reddish brown), Copper-associated protein (dark red/purple), background (pale pink)

Liver tissue containing positive Hep. B antigen, fetal liver, Wilson’s disease

Control tissues for Orcein

Identify viral inclusion bodies of Hep. B surface antigen and Copper-associated proteins

Purpose of Orcein

Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS)

Identify

Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS)

Positive structures (magenta), nuclei (blue), background (pink)

Kidney (basement membrane), liver (glycogen)

Control tissues for Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS)

Identify glycogen and mucopolysaccharide components

Purpose of Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS)

Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS) with alpha-amylase

Identify

Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS) with alpha-amylase

Nuclei (blue), background (pale/washed out pink)