[Histonet] biopsy staining

[Bob Richmond]

Betsy Molinari, HT (ASCP) at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston asks:

>>I have some very small pieces of tissue that are in 70% ethanol. Should I
mark them with eosin or safranin O? From what I have read the tissues were
still in formalin, and mine are already in alcohol. Can they still be
marked? At the moment they are not planning to do fluorescence, but I would
like to keep that option open.<<

I've excellent results with safranin O, which (unlike eosin) is not
fluorescent. The solution used for Gram staining by bacteriologists serves
well. The alcohol storage shouldn't matter, but try it.

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Maryville TN