Hi Cindy,
We do Perls' Prussian blue preferably on clots and also sometimes on core
biopsies with a note to a pathologist of possible false negative result due
to acid decalcification. However often haemosiderin is present in large
enough quantity to still be demonstrable.  The iron in haemoglobin is
complexed to protein and is not available for a reaction. Maybe that is what
your pathologist is thinking of. I would ask for a reference for such a
claim.

Katri

Katri Tuomala
Dept. of Pathology
St Joseph's Health Care
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

----- Original Message -----
From: 
To: "Histonet" 
Sent: Thursday, January 09, 2003 2:43 PM
Subject: Fe stain on BM


> I would like to know if other labs are doing iron stains on the clot and
core
> of bone marrow biopsies.
>
> We normally do a Prussian blue iron stain on the clot, core, and 1 smear.
> Today one our pathologist said they read that this stain actually does not
> stain iron in bone cores and clots. Our control is liver and processed in
the
> same manner as the clot, and the only difference with the core is the
10-15
> minute decal we do just prior to cutting (after processing and embedding).
> Are we in fact getting false negatives?
> Should I be doing a different stain for iron in bone core biopsies?
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> P.S.  I have seen positive staining in some cores here, but the
pathologist
> claimed that was erroneous staining!
>
> Cindy DuBois, HT
> Delta Pathology Assoc.
> Stockton, CA
> (209)477-4432
>
>