Alternative, cost-effective fungus-staining method for control slides in cytology and histopathology.
OBJECTIVE
To develop a cost-effective, reliable and safe method of providing fungal control slides for routine use in pathology laboratories.


METHODS
A set of easily available, low-cost material was tested to obtain fungal colonies on substrate adequate for paraffin-embedded sections or smears.


RESULTS
Such material as cheese is a simple, inexpensive and practical culture medium for silver-positive fungi. A batch of paraffin blocks can be prepared to maintain a stock of control material in the laboratory.


CONCLUSIONS
It is useful to maintain fungal colonies to produce staining control specimens using small pieces of refrigerated cheese to easily produce silver-staining control specimens or smears embedded in paraffin, reducing the risk of accidental exposure to potentially infective pathogens in the laboratory. This method might also be a good alternative for conserving routine surgical specimens, considering the currently decreasing numbers of necropsy and large specimens, particularly from immunosuppressed and infected patients.
da Silva
Vinicius Duval
VD
Department of Pathology and Radiation, Faculty of Medicine, Pontifícia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul, Hospital Sao Lucas, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. vinids@pucrs.br
D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D002611:Cheese / Q000382:microbiology; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003470:Culture Media; D003584:Cytological Techniques / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D005658:Fungi / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009181:Mycoses / Q000473:pathology*; D010336:Pathology / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D016622:Silver Staining / Q000191:economics; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*
D004396:Coloring Agents; D003470:Culture Media