APPLICATION OF SILVER COLLOIDAL STAINING METHOD IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF INTRACRANIAL GLIOMA

A silver colloidal staining technique for the demonstration of argyrop hilic nucleolar organizer regions (Ag-NORs) was used on the paraffin s ections of reactive gliosis and grade I astrocytoma tissue. Quantitati ve as well as qualitative differences of Ag-NORs were found between th e cells of reactive gliosis and grade I astrocytoma. In cases of react ive gliosis, the Ag-NOR counts averaged 1.19 +/- 0.16 per nucleus, whi le in grade I astrocytoma, Ag-NOR counts averaged 2.36 +/- 0.32 per nu cleus (P<0.05). Compound Ag-NORs were also seen in the nuclei of cells in grade I astrocytoma while they were not present in the nuclei of c ells in cases of reactive gliosis. The results of the study indicate t hat Ag-NOR technique is an useful method and can be applied in situati ons where a distinction between grade I astrocytoma and reactive glios is becomes difficult at the light microscopic level.