Confocal scanning laser microscopy of mitochondria: a possible tool in the diagnosis of mitochondrial disorders.

This paper describes a non-invasive method for the study of mitochondrial morphology in cultured human skin fibroblasts by confocal scanning laser microscopy after staining the mitochondria with 2-[4-(dimethylaminostyryl]-1-methylpyridinium iodide. This method is applied to compare mitochondria in fibroblasts from healthy individuals and from patients with mitochondrial myopathy. In most cases there is a striking swelling of the patient's mitochondria and a loss of fine structure. The results with respect to the potential of this method as a diagnostic tool are discussed.