title: Pneumocystis carinii in pleural fluid. The cytologic appearance.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Cytopathology Section, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Elwood
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dobrzanski
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Feuerstein
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Solomon
mesh_terms: 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