Toluidine blue is a basic thiazine metachromatic dye with high affinity for acidic tissue components, thereby staining tissues rich in DNA and RNA. It has found wide applications both as vital staining in living tissues and as a special stain owing to its metachromatic property. Toluidine blue has been used in vivo to identify dysplasia and carcinoma of the oral cavity. Use of toluidine blue in tissue sections is done with the aim to highlight components, such as mast cells granules, mucins, and cartilage. This article provides an overview on chemistry, technique, and the various applications of toluidine blue.

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Teratoma consists of tissues derived from all the three germ layers, and there may be presence of appendages as a representation of these germ layers as well. Teratomas of the ovary are known to occur in a fairly large number of women. These may be present clinically at a much later stage, permitting a limited treatment plan. Newer diagnostic techniques are always welcome in identifying these lesions. This case report discusses the case of a 40-year-old woman with a large teratoma in the right ovary and its diagnostic and surgical modalities.

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Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) a member of the heat shock proteins (HSPs) family, is an adenosine triphosphate dependent molecular chaperone protein, which integrates multiple oncogenic pathways. Clinically, encouraging results have been demonstrated in melanoma, acute myeloid leukemia, castrate refractory prostate cancer, non-small cell lung carcinoma and multiple myeloma using the first generation Hsp90 inhibitors. Hsp90 as the target of anticancer activity of geldanamycin sparked much interest in the inhibition of Hsp90 as a strategy for the treatment of cancer. Hsp90 inhibitors demonstrate rapid clearance from normal tissues and the blood compartment with prolonged retention in tumors making it a sought after modality for treating cancer. Our review emphasizes its role as anti-cancer therapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.