Commentary from the Editorial Board. The Warthin-Starry stain for detection of cutaneous melanin: more than a historical curiosity
Commentary from the Editorial Board. The Warthin-Starry stain for detection of cutaneous melanin: more than a historical curiosity
Cutaneous melanin plays an important role in human health and disease; therefore, accurate detection of melanin in skin is essential for reliable investigations on the mechanisms underlying physiological and aberrant pigmentation in skin. Histological visualisation of melanin has most commonly been performed using the Fontana‐Masson procedure, originally developed over 100 years ago. By contrast, the Warthin–Starry stain, developed in 1920 for the identification of spirochaetes, was reported in 1980 to be more sensitive and specific for detecting cutaneous melanin than the Fontana‐Masson procedure.1 Despite this, the Warthin–Starry stain failed to gain popularity within the field of cutaneous pigmentation research. This commentary will discuss the article by Joly‐Tonetti et al.2, who highlight the benefits of the Warthin–Starry method and advocate its use over the Fontana‐Masson stain for histological detection of cutaneous melanin.
histology; melanin; pigmentation; skin cancer
763-764
Lai, Chester
29ba48ea-2d38-497f-8cf9-400237f6a3a0
Healy, Eugene
400fc04d-f81a-474a-ae25-7ff894be0ebd
October 2016
Lai, Chester
29ba48ea-2d38-497f-8cf9-400237f6a3a0
Healy, Eugene
400fc04d-f81a-474a-ae25-7ff894be0ebd
Lai, Chester and Healy, Eugene
(2016)
Commentary from the Editorial Board. The Warthin-Starry stain for detection of cutaneous melanin: more than a historical curiosity.
Experimental Dermatology, 25 (10), .
(doi:10.1111/exd.13101).
Abstract
Cutaneous melanin plays an important role in human health and disease; therefore, accurate detection of melanin in skin is essential for reliable investigations on the mechanisms underlying physiological and aberrant pigmentation in skin. Histological visualisation of melanin has most commonly been performed using the Fontana‐Masson procedure, originally developed over 100 years ago. By contrast, the Warthin–Starry stain, developed in 1920 for the identification of spirochaetes, was reported in 1980 to be more sensitive and specific for detecting cutaneous melanin than the Fontana‐Masson procedure.1 Despite this, the Warthin–Starry stain failed to gain popularity within the field of cutaneous pigmentation research. This commentary will discuss the article by Joly‐Tonetti et al.2, who highlight the benefits of the Warthin–Starry method and advocate its use over the Fontana‐Masson stain for histological detection of cutaneous melanin.
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Accepted/In Press date: 20 May 2016
e-pub ahead of print date: 29 September 2016
Published date: October 2016
Additional Information:
Commentary from the Editorial Board; not sent out for peer review; was reviewed in house by journal Editorial team.
Keywords:
histology; melanin; pigmentation; skin cancer
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Local EPrints ID: 412756
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/412756
ISSN: 0906-6705
PURE UUID: d91ad1e0-a9a8-41a2-95da-26031aadf236
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Date deposited: 01 Aug 2017 16:31
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 15:28
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Author:
Chester Lai
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