Question

When viewed with the light microscope, a 5-um paraffin section from tissue known to contain a gouty tophus fails to reveal any staining with the Gomori methenamine silver technique. To prevent this from happening in the future:

a. ensure fixation with absolute alcohol
b. cut the sections at 10 um and 12 um
c. apply appropriate washing after fixation
d. use polarizing microscopy

Answer 1

The Gomori methenamine silver technique failed to reveal any staining in a 5-um paraffin section from tissue known to contain a gouty tophus. To prevent this from happening in the future, appropriate washing after fixation should be applied.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Gomori methenamine silver technique is a staining technique used in light microscopy to detect certain substances, such as fungal elements and basement membranes, in tissue sections.

In the case of the 5-um paraffin section from tissue known to contain a gouty tophus, the failure to reveal any staining suggests that the technique was not effective in detecting the specific substances of interest in this particular sample. To prevent this from happening in the future, the appropriate action would be to c. apply appropriate washing after fixation. This will help remove any excess substances that could interfere with the staining process and improve the chances of detecting the desired substances.