A number of conditions may explain pale staining of elastic fibers following the Verhoeff method.
The goal is to have elastic fibers well-stained and easily differentiated from the background.
Causes of pale elastic fibers by the Verhoeff method:
(1) staining solution not prepared properly (reagents not added in proper order, wrong ingredients, etc)
(2) deterioration of the stain (too old or expired; the stain may deteriorate in a few hours)
(3) over-decolorization
If a slide has been overdecolorized and if the slide has NOT been in alcohol, then it can be restained.
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Specialty: Clinical Laboratory
