Romanowsky stains

Field stain (a type of Romanowsky stain) in Hodgkin lymphoma

Romanowsky stains, named after a Russian scientist, and physician, Dmitri Leonidovich Romanowsky (1861–1921), is a type of tissue straining that helps differentiate different tissues and helps indentify cells and parasites in hematology and oncology.

Types

Stains that are related to or derived from the Romanowsky-type stains include Giemsa, Jenner, Wright, Field, May–Grünwald stain and Leishman stains.

Wright (Wright-Giemsa) stain

Used in hematology, this stain is not optimal for blood parasites. It can be used if rapid results are needed, but should be followed up when possible with a confirmatory Giemsa stain, so that Schüffner’s dots can be demonstrated.

Giemsa stain

Recommended for detection and identification of blood parasites.

The process

• Prepare fresh working Giemsa stain in a staining jar, according to the directions above. (The 40 ml fills adequately a standing Coplin jar; for other size jars, adapt volume but do not change proportions).
• Pour 40 ml of working Giemsa buffer into a second staining jar. Add 2 drops of Triton X-100. Adapt volume to jar size.
• Place slides into the working Giemsa stain (2.5%) for 45-60 minutes.
• Remove thin smear slides and rinse by dipping 3-4 times in the Giemsa buffer. Thick smears should be left in buffer for 5 minutes.
• Dry the slides upright in a rack.

Romanowsky stains Resources
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