Mucin stain on frozen sections: a rapid 3-minute method.
BACKGROUND
The importance of frozen-section diagnoses in the practice of pathology cannot be overemphasized. In some cases, the use of a mucin stain can greatly aid in the diagnosis. Since few methods for mucin staining have been described that can be used in the frozen-section setting, we developed one such staining procedure for mucin.


OBJECTIVE
To develop a rapid mucicarmine staining technique to be used on frozen sections that does not significantly delay overall turnaround time.


METHODS
A standard mucicarmine staining technique was modified by using a concentrated mucicarmine stain and a microwave oven, to reduce the total staining time to 3 minutes or less. Frozen tissue from normal colonic mucosa was used as a control, and skin from extramammary Paget disease for evaluation of margins was used as a case.


RESULTS
The rapid mucicarmine stain successfully demonstrated the presence of mucin on frozen-tissue sections. Mucin stained deep rose, and the connective tissue stained green.


CONCLUSIONS
This rapid and simple mucin staining technique can be used on frozen sections with no significant effect on the overall turnaround time, thereby aiding rapid diagnosis on frozen sections.
Soans
S
S
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hahnemann University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA 19102-1192, USA.
Galindo
L M
LM
Garcia
F U
FU
D004396:Coloring Agents; D005629:Frozen Sections; D006801:Humans; D009077:Mucins; D010338:Pathology, Clinical / Q000379:methods*
D004396:Coloring Agents; D009077:Mucins