Background: Toluidine blue is a useful stain for detecting basal cell carcinoma during Mohs' micrographic surgery.
Objective: To demonstrate the efficacy of alkalinization on the toluidine blue stain.
Methods: A 1% aqueous toluidine blue-1% aqueous sodium borate solution was used to stain microscope slides for basal cell carcinoma during Mohs' micrographic surgery.
Results: Total toluidine blue staining time was reduced to less than 2.5 minutes, without compromising the quality of the stain.
Conclusions: The rapid toluidine blue stain reduces staining time while maintaining staining quality, including the advantages specific to the toluidine blue stain.