Stains & CD markers
Acid fast / Auramine-rhodamine



Last author update: 1 August 2015
Last staff update: 5 September 2023

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PubMed Search: Acid fast

Nat Pernick, M.D.
Page views in 2024 to date: 1,879
Cite this page: Pernick N. Acid fast / Auramine-rhodamine. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/stainsacidfast.html. Accessed March 19th, 2024.
Definition / general
Methods
  • Ziehl-Neelsen (classic): common method; bacteria stain bright red due to retention of carbol-fuchsin dye; background is methylene blue counterstain; procedure involves heat (#1, #2)
  • Ziehl-Neelsen (modified bleach): may be more sensitive than classic stain (Acta Cytol 2008;52:325,J Cytol 2012;29:165)
  • Ziehl-Neelsen (modified for stool specimens): does not require heating (Centers for Disease Control)
  • Kinyoun: common method; uses more concentrated fuchsin dye and lipid solvent, but no heat; bacteria stain bright red against green background (#1, #2)
  • Fite: to detect M. leprae (leprosy) and Rhodococcus (Diagn Cytopathol 2001;24:244); combines peanut / vegetable oil with xylene to minimize exposure of bacteria cell wall to organic solvents and protect precarious acid-fastness of organism (#1, #2)
  • Ellis and Zabrowarny: protocol excludes phenol; procedure (J Clin Pathol 1993;46:559)
  • Auramine-rhodamine: mixture of Auramine O and Rhodamine B dyes, auramine binds to mycolic acid in cell wall; detection requires a fluorescence microscope (mercury vapor lamp or LED), but is most sensitive stain for mycobacteria (Hum Pathol 1984;15:1085, PLoS One 2011;6:e22495); saves time in searching for microorganisms (Clin Infect Dis 2008;47:203); procedure
  • Water filters are recommended to reduce false positives due to non-TB mycobacteria (Appl Environ Microbiol 2007;73:6296)
Microscopic (histologic) images

Images hosted on other servers:

Cryptosporidium:

Oocysts: modified acid-fast stain

Stool specimen (Ziehl-Neelsen)

Oocysts: auramine-rhodamine stain


Isospora:

Acid-fast stain


Mycobacterium leprae:

Liver (Fite stain)



Mycobacterium tuberculosis:

Ziehl-Neelsen stains

Auramine stain of lung

Skin biopsies



Mycobacterium avium complex:

Site-unknown, breast and colon (Ziehl-Neelsen)


Nocardia:

Fite-Faraco modified acid fast stain of lung


Other:

Tuberculous lymphadenopathy (Ziehl-Neelsen)

Pleural fluid

Videos

Acid fast stain

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