Which stain is considered a primary connective tissue stain and is commonly used as a counterstain with Verhoeff elastic technique?

• A. Van Geison's Picric Acid-Acid Fuchsin Stain
• B. Gordon and Sweets Stain for Reticular Fibers
• C. Mallory's Phosphotungstic Acid-Hematoxylin
• D. Periodic Acid-Methanamine for Basement Membranes

Answer: (A)

Verhoeff’s elastic stain highlights elastic fibers in black, so you need a counterstain that clearly differentiates the surrounding connective tissue from those dark fibers. Van Geison’s stain, which uses picric acid and acid fuchsin, is specifically designed to stain collagen and other connective tissue components in a contrasting pink/red color. This pairing provides a clear, complementary view: elastic fibers stand out in black while the collagen-rich matrix appears pink, making tissue architecture easy to interpret. That’s why this stain is considered the standard counterstain with the Verhoeff elastic technique.

Other options don’t fit as well here because they are designed for different purposes: reticular fiber staining, general trichrome staining of multiple tissue components, or basement membrane visualization, none of which serve as the typical counterstain to highlight collagen alongside elastic fibers in the Verhoeff method.