Microwave Giemsa Technique for Paraffin Embedded Tissue Sections

Abstract

A microwave Giemsa method for paraffin embedded tissue sections is reported. It is a modification of an earlier stain by Churukian and Listinsky, in which warm glycerol is used to dissolve the dyes and Triton X-100 is added to the final solution. The procedure can be completed within one hour and fifteen minutes and is consistent and reliable for demonstrating a variety of cells and microorganisms, like rickettsia and gram-negative bacteria. The stain can be easily prepared in the laboratory, does not require a microscope to control differentiation, and is as good, if not better, than commercially available Giemsa stains. Results are more uniform and consistent than those obtained with the widely used Wolbach method. (The J Histotechnol 18:319, 1995).

Keywords:

• Giemsa stain
• microwave
• Triton X-100