title: Immunohistochemical demonstration of mycobacterial antigens in intracranial tuberculoma.
abstract: Mycobacterial antigens have been demonstrated immunohistochemically in the paraffin sections of 10 intracranial tuberculous granulomas and the results were compared with the detection of acid fast bacilli by conventional Ziehl-Neelsen method. In none of the 10 specimens, acid fast bacilli were demonstrated while mycobacterial antigens were characterised as diffusely staining granular brownish-pink material within the cytoplasm of giant cells and macrophages. In 14 specimens of granulomatous lesions due to non-tuberculous aetiology, immunohistochemical stains were negative for mycobacterial antigen. Thus demonstration of mycobacterial antigen will be not only useful in establishing mycobacterial aetiology of a caseating intracranial granuloma but also can be used as an alternative method to the conventional Ziehl-Neelsen method.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, India.
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Radhakrishnan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mathai
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Radhakrishnan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rout
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sehgal
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006099:Granuloma / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014375:Tuberculoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial