Romanowsky stain

Blood film with Giemsa stain. Monocytes surrounded by erythrocytes.

Romanowsky staining is a prototypical staining technique that was the forerunner of several distinct but similar stains widely used in hematology (the study of blood) and cytopathology (the study of diseased cells). Romanowsky-type stains are used to differentiate cells for microscopic examination in pathological specimens, especially blood and bone marrow films,[1] and to detect parasites such as malaria within the blood.[2][3][4][5]

The staining technique is named after the Russian physician Dmitri Leonidovich Romanowsky (1861–1921), who was one of the first to recognize its potential for use as a blood stain.[6]

Stains that are related to or derived from the Romanowsky-type stains include Giemsa, Jenner, Wright, Field, May–Grünwald, Pappenheim and Leishman stains. They differ in protocols and additives and their names are often confused with one another in practice.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Theil, 2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bezrukov, 2017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).