Acid-fast-positive Legionella pneumophila: a possible pitfall in the cytologic diagnosis of mycobacterial infection in pulmonary specimens.
The acid-fast stain is commonly used in the rapid cytologic assessment of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid to detect pulmonary mycobacterial infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients. The identification of acid-fast, rod-shaped organisms may be taken as presumptive evidence of such an infection, in the appropriate clinical setting. However, this determination is made less specific by the occasional acid-fast positivity of microorganisms other than mycobacteria. We report on the occurrence of a fatal pneumonia caused by acid-fast positive Legionella pneumophila detected by BAL. This is a potential pitfall in the rapid diagnosis of pulmonary mycobacterial infections.
Bentz
J S
JS
Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Joel.Bentz@m.cc.utah.edu
Carroll
K
K
Ward
J H
JH
Elstad
M
M
Marshall
C J
CJ
D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D003581:Cytodiagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D016952:Legionella pneumophila / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007877:Legionnaires' Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D013194:Staining and Labeling