Renal biopsy frozen section: a fluorescent study of hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections

When frozen sections of kidney are stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and viewed by standard fluorescence microscopy, crisp detail of nephron and vascular basement membranes is revealed. We studied by H&E fluorescence, control kidneys, and 85 renal biopsies which span a broad range of renal disease. We found that H&E fluorescence provides useful initial orientation by revealing the presence of cortex or medulla and number of glomeruli and vessels. It also reveals major structural alterations of nephron and vascular basement membranes (sclerosis, disruption, atrophy) and heavy deposition of abnormal material (fibrin, immune deposits, paraprotein). When coupled with direct immunofluorescence, a much greater understanding of the disease process is possible, prior to review of permanent sections.