Commonly Used Histochemical Stains

Question 1

Verhoefs-Van Gieson

Answer 1

Elastic fibres (black)

Question 2

Toluidine blue

Answer 2

Mucin (blue)

Mast cell granules (metachromatic)

Question 3

Masson’s trichrome

Answer 3

Collagen (blue-green)
Smooth muscle (red)

Question 4

Leder stain

Answer 4

Mast cell cytoplasm (red)

Question 5

Periodic acid-Schiff

Answer 5

Glycogen (red)

Fungi (red)

Question 6

Alcian blue

Answer 6

Acid mucopolysaccharides, such as mucin (blue)

Question 7

Colloidal iron

Answer 7

Acid mucopolysaccharides (blue)

Question 8

Mucicarmine

Answer 8

Mucopolysaccharides (pink/red)

Question 9

Congo red

Answer 9

Amyloid (red, apple green birefringence with polarised light)

Question 10

Thioflavin T

Answer 10

Amyloid (yellow/yellow-green)

Question 11

Crystal violet

Answer 11

Amyloid (red-purple metachromatically)

Question 12

Prussian blue (Perls stain)

Answer 12

Iron (deep blue)

Question 13

Fontana-Masson

Answer 13

Melanin (black)

Question 14

Von Kossa

Answer 14

Calcium (black)

Question 15

Alizarin red

Answer 15

Calcium (orange-red)

Question 16

Oil red O

Answer 16

Lipids (red)

Question 17

Sudan black

Answer 17

Lipids (black)

Question 18

Gomoro methamine silver (GMS)

Answer 18

Fungus (gray/black)

Question 19

Ziehl-Neelsen, Site acid-fast stain

Answer 19

Mycobacteria (red)

Question 20

Auramine/rhodamine

Answer 20

Mycobacteria (red-yellow)

Question 21

Warthin-starry

Answer 21

Spirochetes (black)

Question 22

Giemsa

Answer 22

Myeloid cells (blue)
Mast cells (blue)
Leishmania, histoplasma