Diamine Silver is used in which staining procedure?

• A. Gordon and Sweets
• B. Verhoeff
• C. Masson trichrome
• D. Gomori trichrome

Answer: (A)

Diamine silver staining is used to visualize reticular fibers with a silver impregnation method. In the Gordon and Sweets reticulin stain, a diamine silver complex impregnates the delicate reticular network (primarily type III collagen), and reduction deposits metallic silver on these fibers. This produces a dark, almost black reticular framework against a pale counterstained background, helping highlight the architecture of tissues such as liver, spleen, lymph nodes, and bone marrow. Other stains listed target different structures—Verhoeff for elastic fibers, Masson trichrome for differentiating collagen and muscle, and Gomori trichrome for various tissue components—but they do not rely on the diamine silver method for reticulin visualization.