[Histonet] Re: AFB by IHC

[Bob Richmond]

Amy Self asks: >>My pathologist wants an AFB stain done by IHC. Is
this stain/procedure even doable and if so where?<<

AFB by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is what he may be thinking of.
PCR can be done on paraffin blocks, but not every reference lab does -
I think Mayo Medical Laboratories may.

Your pathologist might be better advised to do a fluorescent AFB stain
(Auramine O), if your pathologist has access to a fluorescence
microscope. This is a much better technique than the light microscopic
AFB stain, but though it's been around for half a century it's very
little used. I think the regulatory agencies should ban light
microscopic AFB stains, because of their insensitivity.

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Knoxville TN