von Kossa stain

The von Kossa stain is a laboratory technique used to detect minerals, especially calcium, in tissue samples. When applied, a silver nitrate solution reacts with calcium deposits, turning them black or dark brown under a microscope. This helps pathologists identify areas of calcification, which can indicate disease processes like tissue damage, inflammation, or certain metabolic disorders. The stain is valuable for studying bone formation, vascular calcification, and pathological calcification in tissues, providing visual confirmation of calcium presence and distribution within the sample.