[Histonet] Giemsa vs Diff Quik

[Histology]

Hi,

Have you tried leishman staining? I have an automated protocol for he thermo gemini if you want one? Failing that I do have the manual step protocol and all you need is a jar of leishman powder, methanol and pH6.8 phosphate buffet tablets

Stuart Beaver BSc(Hons)
Head of Veterinary Histology/Cytology
+447568543761

On 6 Sep 2018, at 21:37, Bob Richmond <rsrichmond at gmail.com<mailto:rsrichmond at gmail.com>> wrote:

Joseph A. Esposito at McClain Laboratories on Long Island asks:

The laboratory I work at has been using the Diff Quik for years now as a
stain for fine needle aspirates. Recently, when we tried to reorder a Diff
Quik stain kit from our usual suppliers, we have found it to be on
backorder. This has caused us to begin to consider the Giemsa stain as an
alternative to the Diff Quik. Does anyone have any experience with using
both stains and how they compare to each other? Would the Giemsa be a
suitable alternative to replace the Diff Quik?<<

Diff-Quik® (spelt like that!) is an old registered trademark for a rapid
two-step Romanowsky stain. A number of Web sites inform me today that this
trade name has been discontinued, I suppose because the name has been so
commonly used generically.

There have long been a number of generic fast two-step Romanowsky stains
available, with a xanthene dye (presumably eosin Y) as solution 1, and a
proprietary mixture of thiazine dyes as solution 2. In my experience with
at least five of these, they all worked pretty much indistinguishably from
brand-name Diff-Quik.

There are a number of stains called Giemsa, also Romanowsky stains, but
often slower than the "quick" stains. There is probably no advantage to
using them for any reason.

In my eightieth year, I remember with nostalgia the old Wolbach Giemsa
technique for tissue sections. Tissue must be fixed in a dichromate
fixative, traditionally Zenker/Helly, sections stained in four successive
Giemsa baths, the last one overnight, and differentiated with 10%
colophonium rosin in alcohol with microscopic control. (I've actually done
this stain myself.)

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Maryville TN