Special pathology services
Special stains
Special stains
Special stains are used to selectively stain cells and cellular components. Special stains are frequently used in diagnostic and research studies for detecting or distinguishing particular tissue structures, cell types, subcellular elements or chemical components that could be normal or abnormal in their nature. HTRC offers PAS (mucin), Oil Red O (neutral fat) and Methyl-Green-Pyronin Y (DNA, RNA) staining. Diagnostic lab will do other special stains for research (contact Ann Lemieux, tel 2-5237).
Representative special stain images
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| PAS (Periodic Acid Schiff), pancreas |
Oil Red O, prostate BPH |
Silver stain, lung Aspergilloma |
Masson’s Trichrome, liver cirrhosis |
Weigert’s Elastic stain, coronary artery |
| For neutral muco-substrances, basement membrane, fungal walls |
Fat tissue (frozen only) |
Fungi, pneumocystis jirovecii, and basement membranes |
Connective tissue to distinguish collagen from muscle |
For emphysema, arteriosclerosis, other vascular diseases |
