title: Pulmonary tumorlets in cases of "tuberculoma" of the lung with malignant cells in brush biopsy.
abstract: Two cases of pulmonary nodules associated with Mycobacterium intracellulare infection were initially interpreted as carcinomas of the lung after brush cytology specimens were reported to contain malignant epithelial cells. In both instances, the cells observed in the cytology specimens exhibited marked cytologic atypia. These cells were identical to those present in tumorlets adjacent to the granulomatous lesion. Tumorlets may thus represent a source of false-positive cytologic findings or constitute a type of microscopic neoplasms of the lung.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000175:diagnosis; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis*