Combined methenamine-silver nitrate and hematoxylin & eosin stain for fungi in tissues

Abstract

Initial examination of hematoxylin & eosin-stained tissue from a human brain specimen did not reveal the fungi which were seen in subsequent tissue sections stained with methenamine-silver nitrate. Microabscesses seen in the hematoxylin & eosin-stained sections were not apparent in the methenamine--silver nitrate-stained tissue. Staining with methenamine--silver nitrate and counterstaining with hematoxylin & eosin proved excellent not only for detecting fungus cells, but also for revealing their relationship to the host cellular response in this case and in examples of experimental murine coccidioidomycosis and histoplasmosis.