IRON HEMATOXYLIN STAIN: Introduction

The iron hematoxylin stain is one of a number of stains that allow one to make a permanent stained slide for detecting and quantitating parasitic organisms. Iron hematoxylin was the stain used for most of the original morphological descriptions of intestinal protozoa found in humans. On oil immersion power (1,000 x ), one can examine the diagnostic features used to identify the protozoan parasite. Iron hematoxylin staining methods can be used with either fresh, SAF-preserved, or PVA-preserved specimens.

The specimen usually consists of fresh stool smeared on a microscope slide which is immediately fixed in Schaudinn's fixative, PVA-preserved stool smeared on a slide and allowed to air dry, or SAF-preserved stool smeared on an albumin-coated slide and allowed to air dry.