Special stains (histochemical methods) are used to help visualize and/or identify structures and substances in sections. CPL can provide most standard special stains. Listed below are a few examples.

Acid fast stains (various methods) for mycobacteria

Congo red for amyloid

Gram stains (various methods) for bacteria

Grocott’s methenamine silver (GMS) for fungi

Jones methenamine silver for basement membrane and mesangium

Luxol fast blue-PAS for demyelination

Masson’s trichrome for collagen & muscle

Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)

Phosphotungstic acid-hematoxylin (PTAH) for fibrin

Prussian blue for ferric iron

Sudan black for lipids & lipochrome pigments

Verhoeff's method for elastin
