Lw. Lamps et al., A combined hematoxylin and eosin/methnamine silver stain for the histological diagnosis of fungi in tissue sections, J HISTOTECH, 23(4), 2000, pp. 341-345
Most histochemical stains available for detection of fungi in tissue sectio
ns accentuate the fungi but do not selectively stain surrounding tissue. Th
erefore, the exact location of organisms in tissue and their relationship t
o important histological features cannot be ascertained with a routine Groc
ott methenamine silver stain (GMS). We evaluated the utility of a combined
H&E/methenamine silver (H&E/MS) protocol that stains surrounding tissue as
well as the fungi and modified it for greater rapidity, ease of performance
, and improved clarity. Twenty cases of various mycotic diseases were stain
ed with routine H&E, GMS, and the modified combined H&E/MS stain. Both the
combination H&E/MS stain and routine GMS readily demonstrated all types of
fungi. However, the surrounding tissue that does not selectively stain with
routine GMS was easily visualized using the combination stain, allowing a
more comprehensive histopathological assessment on a single section. The hi
stological detail was comparable to routine H&E alone. The modified H&E/MS
is quick, relatively inexpensive, and uses reagents routinely stocked by hi
stology laboratories. This stain is a valuable addition to the pathologist'
s armamentarium for detecting fungi in tissue sections.