spesialstain

Spesialstain, commonly referred to as special stains, refers to a group of histological and cytological staining techniques designed to reveal particular tissue components, microorganisms, or chemical substances that are not readily seen with routine hematoxylin and eosin staining. These stains supplement standard methods by highlighting features such as connective tissue elements, basement membranes, minerals, carbohydrates, lipids, mucosubstances, iron, amyloid, and microbial organisms, thereby aiding diagnosis and research.

Special stains require optimized procedures, appropriate reagents, and careful interpretation by trained personnel. They are selected based on the suspected pathology and the properties of the sample. Many stains are used on paraffin-embedded sections, while some require frozen sections or fresh tissue. The interpretation of staining patterns depends on the staining technique, tissue quality, and controls.

Common examples of special stains include Gram stain (bacteria), Ziehl-Neelsen stain (acid-fast bacteria), Periodic acid–Schiff (PAS) (carbohydrates and mucopolysaccharides), Alcian blue (acid mucopolysaccharides), Masson's trichrome (collagen), Gomori methenamine silver (reticulin and fungi), Prussian blue (iron), Von Kossa (calcium), Congo red (amyloid), Luxol fast blue (myelin), and Oil Red O (lipids in frozen sections).

Special stains are valuable tools but are not definitive on their own; results must be interpreted within the clinical context. Pre-analytic factors such as fixation, processing, and section thickness can affect outcomes, and staining protocols vary by laboratory.