Papanicolaou stain

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Papanicolaou stain, abbreviated Pap stain, is a standard stain used in cytopathology.[1] It is a modified H&E stain.

Papanicolaou stain
Stain in short

Low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion.
Abbreviation Pap stain
Similar stains Romanowsky stains
Use the standard stain in cytopathology
Interpretation blue/purple = nucleus, pink/green = cytoplasm, orange = keratin

General

  • Can be thought of as the H&E of cytopathology.
  • Specimens are fixed in ethanol.
  • Good for seeing nuclear detail.
  • Out-of-focus cytoplasm is translucent; allows one to focus overlapped cells in different planes.

Use

  • Cytopathology.

Interpretation

  • Blue/purple = nucleus.
  • Green/pink = cytoplasm.
  • Orange = keratin.

Images

See also

References

  1. Prabhudesai, NM.; Kulkarni, MB.; Desai, SB.; Borges, AM. (Jul 2004). "Modified H & E staining technique for fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) smears.". Indian J Pathol Microbiol 47 (3): 384-6. PMID 16295430.