Our Services - Special Stains

Masson's Trichrome
Connective tissue

– Collagen fibers stain blue – Nuclei stain black – Cytoplasm – Keratin – Muscle fibers and – Intracellular fibers stain red

Goldner's Trichrome
Osteoid

– Mineralized bone stain green – Osteoid stain orange / red – Cartilage stain purple – Nuclei stain blue

Oil-Red-O
Fats

– Lipids stain bright red – nuclei stain blue

Congo Red
Amyloid

– Eosinophils and elastin stain brick red – Nuclei stain blue – Other tissue elements stain clear / pale pink

Toluidine Blue
Mast cells

– Stains red – Other tissue elements stain varying shades of blue

PAS
Carbohydrates, glycogen, mucin, glycoprotein, and some basement membranes

– stains magenta – Nuclei stain blue

Alcian Blue
Glycosaminoglycans

– Polysaccharides stain blue – Nuclei stain red

Verhoeff's Van Gieson
Connective tissue

– Elastic fibers and nuclei stain black – Collagen stains red – Other tissue elements stain yellow

Giemsa
Blood cells and parasites

– Nuclei stain blue / purple – A cidophils stain pink / red – Basophils stain blue – Eosinophils stain red / orange – Mast cells stain purple (granules) – Parasites stain blue / dark blue

Wright's Stain
Blood film

– Erythrocytes stain yellow / red – Polymorphonuclear neutrophils' cytoplasm stain pink / tan – Eosinophils' granules stain red / orange; basophils' granules stain purple – Lymphocytes' cytoplasm stain sky blue – Nuclei stain reddish purple

Silver Stain
Neurons, glial cells, and reticular fibers

– Stain dark silver