AIM: To find special staining methods which is fast, accurate and easy to operate for fungal keratitis tissue section.

METHODS:Thirty-eight cases with fungal keratitis were diagnosed by positive fungal culture. Corneal specimens of these cases were conventionally fixed, dehydrated and dipped in wax for 4μm paraffin sections, then subject to conventional dewaxing to water. The results of fluorescein isothiocyanate(FITC)and periodic acid-Schiff(PAS)staining were compared.

RESULTS: Positive detection rate of FITC staining was 97.4%(37/38), positive detection rate of PAS staining was 86.8%(33/38), with statistically significant difference(P<0.001).

CONCLUSION: FITC staining method is simple, fast, accurate, andhas high positive rate. It is superior to PAS staining, and is worth of promoting.