Stains

Question 1

Name 2 special stains for dermatophytes or other fungi.

Answer 1

1. Gomori methenamine silver (GMS)

2. periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)

Question 2

What color does GMS stain dermatophytes or fungi?

Answer 2

black

Question 3

What color does PAS stain fungi?

Answer 3

magenta-purple

Question 4

Name a stain for fats/cholesterol clefts.

Answer 4

Oil red O

Question 5

What color does Oil red O stain fats/cholesterol clefts?

Answer 5

red

Question 6

Name 2 special stains for elastic fibers.

Answer 6

1. Verhoeff

2. Van Gieson

Question 7

What color does Verhoeff stain elastic fibers?

Answer 7

red

Question 8

What color does Van Gieson stain elastic fibers?

Answer 8

black- binds to elastin within elastic fibers

Question 9

Name a stain for calcinosis cutis/calcium.

Answer 9

Von Kossa

Question 10

What color does Von Kossa stain calcium?

Answer 10

metallic silver?/black

Question 11

Name 3 special stain for melanin.

Answer 11

1. Fontana-Masson
2. Grimelius
3. GMS

Question 12

What color do Fontana-Masson, grimelius and GMS stain melanin?

Answer 12

black

Question 13

Name a special stain for amyloid.

Answer 13

Alkaline Congo red

Question 14

What color does Alkaline Congo red stain amyloid?

Answer 14

red

Question 15

Name a special stain for collagen.

Answer 15

Masson’s trichrome

Question 16

What color does Masson’s trichrome stain abnormal collagen?

Answer 16

red (blue=normal)

Question 17

Name 2 special stains for Mast cells.

Answer 17

1. Toluidine blue

2. Acid orcein-giemsa

Question 18

What color do Toluidine blue and giemsa stains stain mast cells?

Answer 18

purple red metochromatic

Question 19

Name a special stain for the capsule of Cryptococcus neoformans in tissue samples.

Answer 19

Mayar’s mucicarmine

Question 20

What color does Mayar’s mucicarmine stain the Cryptococcus capsule?

Answer 20

red

Question 21

Name a special stain for reticular fibers.

Answer 21

Gomori’s methenamine silver

Question 22

What color does GMS stain reticular fibers?

Answer 22

black

Question 23

Name 2 special stains for glycosaminoglycans.

Answer 23

1. Alcian blue

2. Toluidine blue

Question 24

What color does Alcian blue and toluidine blue stain glycoaminoglycans?

Answer 24

1. Alcian blue: blue-green

2. Toluidine blue: purple

Question 25

Name a special stain for eosinophils.

Answer 25

Giemsa

Question 26

What color does Giemsa stain eosinophils?

Answer 26

nucleus= blue/purple cytoplasmic granules: red (aka purple red metachromatic)

Question 27

Name a special stain for mycobacteria.

Answer 27

Ziehl-Neelsen

Question 28

What color does Ziehl-Neelsen stain mycobacteria?

Answer 28

red

Question 29

Describe the process of Ziehl-Neelsen staining.

Answer 29

1. carbol fuschin is applied and stains all cells red 2. acid alcohol is applied and de-stains all non-acid-fast cells as they lack thick waxy lipid wall (which holds in carbol fuschin) 3. blue counterstain is applied staining all non-acid-fast blue

Question 30

Name a special stain for the BMZ.

Answer 30

periodic acid-Schiff

Question 31

Name a special stain for Langerhan's cells.

Answer 31

gold chloride