Pneumocystis carinii in pleural fluid. The cytologic appearance.
We describe the cytologic appearance of Pneumocystis carinii in pleural fluid of a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and a rapidly accumulating pleural effusion. The diagnosis of P carinii infection was made by examination of air-dried, Diff-Quik-stained Cytospin preparations of the pleural fluid. The diagnostic appearances of P carinii organisms stained by this method and by the Papanicolaou stain are reviewed. The unusual predominance of the trophozoite forms of the organism in this case made Diff-Quik an ideal special stain for identifying the organisms. Furthermore, this case illustrates a novel presentation of P carinii infection and suggests that P carinii should be considered an etiologic agent in the differential diagnosis of pleural effusion in an immunocompromised host.
Elwood
L J
LJ
Cytopathology Section, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Dobrzanski
D
D
Feuerstein
I M
IM
Solomon
D
D
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016720:Pneumocystis Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology