title: Critical appraisal of fine needle aspiration cytology in tuberculous lymphadenitis.
abstract: A cytomorphologic diagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis by examination of needle aspirates was made in 560 of 1,471 cases of lymphadenopathy studied over two years. Cytologic features were categorized into four groups: epithelioid clusters with or without Langhans's giant cells without necrosis (32.14%), epithelioid clusters with or without Langhans's giant cells with necrosis (50.35%), occasional epithelioid cells without characteristic necrosis/giant cells (2.85%) and necrosis without epithelioid clusters or Langhans's giant cells (14.64%). While a diagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis was offered with confidence in the first two groups, constituting about 82.49% cases, aspirates from the third- and fourth-group patients were subjected to Ziehl-Neelsen staining for acid-fast bacilli, which was positive in 12.5% and 75.6% of cases, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Safdarjang Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nayar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chandra
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014388:Tuberculosis, Lymph Node / Q000473:pathology*