Leishman-giemsa cocktail, effective stain in air dried smear- An institutional study

FNAC is an outpatient procedure and has gained importance in mass screening programs. Staining procedure like MGG and Pap is time-consuming and needs trained persons. So there is a need for a staining procedure that is quick and easy to do. In this regard, LG cocktail has been suggested in many kinds of literature. LG cocktail is a combination of both Leishman and Giemsa stains, which has the advantage of both stains. This is a prospective study at department of pathology, VSSIMSAR Burla. A total of 153 cases were studied from the cytology section. The slides were simultaneously stained with MGG and LG cocktail. The slides were viewed and scored independently by different pathologists. Quality Index (QI) was calculated by dividing this score by the maximum score possible. Quality index of LG cocktail stain is 0.77 compared to MGG Quality Index 0.61. LG cocktail is better than MGG Stain overall staining quality, cytoplasmic and nuclear staining, and staining of background material. LG cocktail has better QI than MGG stain. Thus the use of LG cocktail in cytological staining may increase the overall efficacy by saving time and decreasing the manpower need. These two advantages can help us in mass screening programs and its use in the crowded out-patient department.