Combining the OG-6 and EA-50 in the Pap stain has been considered Good 
Management ever since I started doing pathology in the 1960's. Many 
commercial staining systems - I could mention one - incorporate this 
modification.

Theoretically, it shouldn't work - the Papanicolaou cytology stain is a 
modified trichrome stain - read R.D. Lillie on the theory.

Practically speaking, it doesn't work - it's the first thing I look for when 
the Pap stain is unreadable in a laboratory.

The Pap stain is infinitely capricious and changeable, and requires constant 
interaction between the cytopathologist, the cytotechnologist, and the 
cytopreparatory technologist. Too often I find somebody doing the cytology 
staining who has never looked down a microscope in her life, with the 
cytotechnologist threatened with job termination if she interferes.

The OG-6 (Orange G) stains keratin in the smear, while the EA (Light Green SF 
or Fast Green FCF) is respnsible for the green cytoplasmic staining of 
squamous cells before they keratinize. It is very difficult to interpret 
cytologic preparations when this stain is inadequately balanced, and it is 
the job of the cytotechnologist to see this done right.

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Knoxville TN