Both Kinyoun and Auramine-Rhodamine demonstrate mycobacteria.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not typically used for mycobacteria
• D. Only Auramine-Rhodamine demonstrates

Answer: (A)

Both staining methods rely on the acid-fast property of mycobacteria—their cell walls are rich in mycolic acids that resist decolorization by acid-alcohol. The Kinyoun stain is a cold acid-fast technique that uses a concentrated carbol fuchsin with phenol and a decolorizer, so Mycobacteria stay red while the background is counterstained. Auramine-Rhodamine is a fluorescent acid-fast stain; the fluorochrome binds to the cell wall and is viewed under a fluorescence microscope, producing bright yellow-to-orange bacilli on a dark field. Because both techniques depend on the same cell-wall characteristic, they both demonstrate mycobacteria in samples. In practice, Auramine-Rhodamine is generally more sensitive and faster for screening, while Kinyoun provides a reliable alternative when fluorescence microscopy isn’t available.