Acid-fast organisms in tissue are best stained by which of the following methods?

The Kinyoun method is a staining technique specifically designed for acid-fast organisms, such as mycobacteria. This method uses a fuchsin stain that is applied in high concentration and allows for a successful visual detection of acid-fast bacilli without the need for a heating step, which is required in other techniques.

In particular, Kinyoun’s method is a cold staining technique, meaning it does not involve heat-fixing the slides. This feature can make it more suitable for certain tissue samples where heat might damage the cells or melt the lipid content. The result is a clear and distinct appearance of the acid-fast organisms against a contrasting background, facilitating identification under a microscope.

Other methods mentioned, such as the Ziehl-Neelsen stain, while also effective for identifying acid-fast organisms, typically involve heat, which may not always be optimal for all tissue types. The Hiss stain is not specifically designed for acid-fast bacteria but rather for other types of bacterial identification. Negative staining is generally used to visualize non-spore-forming organisms and is not suitable for highlighting acid-fast properties.

In summary, the Kinyoun method is preferred for its effectiveness in identifying acid-fast organisms in tissue samples without the complications introduced by heat or the unsuitability of