Utility of nail enamel for inking of surgical margins in oral biopsy: a comparative study

Background: India Ink is the most commonly used ink in surgical pathology. The main disadvantages of India Ink are longer drying time, monochrome, toxicity and cost. Because of these disadvantages, alternative materials have been suggested to replace India ink. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of nail enamel for inking of surgical margin and to compare it with India ink. Materials and methods: N = 20, which included 10 mucosal and 10 skin samples. Each selected margin is divided into 2 equal halves and one is inked with India ink and the other with nail enamel (Vernis A Ongles: Dark green). After routine processing and staining, the effectiveness of nail enamel and India ink were compared based on macroscopic and microscopic parameters. Results: Less drying time and visibility on paraffin wax block were excellent for nail enamel. Microscopic visibility of nail enamel was comparable with that of India ink. However, processing fluids contamination is the main drawback of nail enamel. Conclusion: Nail enamel can be used as an alternative to India ink because of its less drying time, ease of application, good visibility on wax blocks and microscopically, availability in multiple colours, cost effectiveness and non-toxicity.