Why is it used?
The VVG stain is particularly useful in the study of
connective tissue disorders and vascular diseases. It highlights elastic fibers, allowing for the assessment of their integrity, distribution, and any pathological changes.
Verhoeff's staining solution: Composed of hematoxylin, ferric chloride, and iodine, it stains elastic fibers black.
Van Gieson's counterstain: A mixture of picric acid and acid fuchsin, it provides a contrasting background by staining collagen fibers red and other tissues yellow.
Deparaffinize and rehydrate tissue sections.
Stain with Verhoeff's solution.
Differentiation using a solution of ferric chloride until elastic fibers are distinct.
Counterstain with Van Gieson's solution.
Dehydrate, clear, and mount the sections.
What do the results look like?
After staining, elastic fibers appear black, collagen fibers are red, and other tissue components are yellow. The clear differentiation allows for detailed examination of the elastic tissue architecture.
Diagnosing
vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and aneurysms.
Studying
connective tissue disorders like Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
Analyzing the integrity of elastic fibers in aging and tissue repair processes.
It requires careful differentiation to avoid over or under-staining.
Interpretation can be subjective and may require experienced personnel.
It may not distinguish between different types of elastic fibers without additional staining techniques.
