Jones C A
Department of Histopathology and Clinical Cytology, Arrowe Park Hospital, Wirral Hospital Trust, Upton, UK.
Cytopathology. 1996 Oct;7(5):333-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2303.1996.tb00312.x.
Air-dried material normally submitted for Diff-Quik (modified Romanowsky stain) was rehydrated in normal saline, then fixed for a short period in formol alcohol, before staining by a modified Papanicolaou technique. Staining was performed by a rapid manual technique (< 2 min) if urgent or routinely on an automatic stainer. Comparisons were made between wet-fixed Papanicolaou-stained specimens and air-dried Papanicolaou-stained material. Air-dried material stained after rehydration showed superior nuclear definition compared with wet-fixed material; the removal of erythrocytes enhanced the staining of the remaining epithelial cells.
