Zirconyl hematoxylin vs. alcian blue staining in a case of extramammary Paget's disease.
BACKGROUND
Despite its occasional unavailability, alcian blue has long been the stain of choice for the pathognomonic mucin-secreting cells of extramammary Paget's disease. Zirconyl hematoxylin is a recently developed substitute for alcian blue, which is made from common laboratory materials.


METHODS
We have stained sections from three different areas of the same case of extramammary Paget's disease with zirconyl hematoxylin, destained in 7% HCl in ethanol, restained with alcian blue at pH 2.5, destained in 2.5% trifluoroacetic acid in dichloromethane, and restained with zirconyl hematoxylin.


RESULTS
Each staining procedure stained the same cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Zirconyl hematoxylin is a useful alternative to alcian blue in the diagnosis of extramammary Paget's disease.
Smith
Allen A
AA
School of Graduate Medical Sciences, Barry University, Miami Shores, FL, USA. asmith@mail.barry.edu
Silver
Timothy M
TM
D000368:Aged; D000423:Alcian Blue / Q000737:chemistry; D006416:Hematoxylin / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009077:Mucins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D010145:Paget Disease, Extramammary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods*; D015040:Zirconium / Q000737:chemistry
D009077:Mucins; D015040:Zirconium; D000423:Alcian Blue; D006416:Hematoxylin