THE MICROSCOPIC DIAGNOSIS OF PNEUMOCYSTIS CARINII

Abstract

An assessment of the Gram, the Methylene blue, and the Ziehl‐Neelsen procedures in diagnosing Pneumocystis carinii has been performed. By using heat and methanol as fixatives and phase‐contrast microscopy we found the procedures valuable in detecting the pneumocysts, especially in the Gram staining. The diagnosis should, however, be confirmed by a re‐staining with a specific staining, viz. the toluidine blue 0 or the silver impregnation a.m. Gomori‐Grocott. It is additionally shown that the staining a.m. Gomori‐Grocott is dependent on the density of the preparation.