title: Pulmonary cytology in tuberculosis.
abstract: A review was made of 138 sputa, 4 bronchial washings and 4 bronchial aspirates from 64 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. The cytologic findings that may indicate granulomatous involvement were epithelioid cells, giant cells, lymphocytes and a necrotic background. Cell-block preparations stained by the Ziehl-Neelsen technique gave a positivity for acid-fast bacilli similar to that of bacterioscopy. This study emphasizes the potential diagnostic value of inflammatory alterations, even when the main objective of pulmonary cytology is the diagnosis of neoplasia; the finding of epithelioid cells and giant cells in a necrotic background may indicate a specific granulomatous involvement.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001980:Bronchi / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D008264:Macrophages; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009504:Neutrophils; D013183:Sputum / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*