Capsular staining: recent developments
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Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Size Matters: Measurement of Capsule Diameter in Cryptococcus neoformans
Published on: February 27, 2018
1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Purpose Of Review:
This paper reviews the recent literature regarding anterior capsular staining.
Recent Findings:
Safety and efficacy of dyes used in facilitating visualization of the anterior capsule during phacoemulsification are compared. Advantages of using different techniques for injection of the dyes are discussed.
Summary:
Trypan Blue and Indocyanine Green appear to be most effective in staining the anterior capsule with the highest safety profile. Injection strategies should be aimed at reducing uncontrolled dispersion especially into the vitreous.
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The simplest type of preparation is the wet mount, in which the specimen is placed in a drop of liquid on the slide. A liquid specimen can be directly deposited on the slide using a dropper. Solid specimens, such as skin scraping, can be placed on the slide before adding a drop of liquid to prepare the wet mount. Sometimes the liquid is simply water, but stains are often added...
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