title: Fine needle aspiration cytology of leprous neuritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To document the cytomorphologic features of leprous neuritis and their correlation with bacterial density.
  
  
  METHODS
  A partly retrospective, partly prospective study of the fine needle aspiration cytology of enlarged nerves in leprosy. Cytomorphologic features of nerve aspirates from 28 patients were studied. May-Grünwald-Geimsa and Ziehl-Neelsen staining methods were employed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five cytomorphologic patterns were observed in smears of nerve aspirates in 19 group I patients with concurrent skin and nerve lesions: (1) inflammation composed of epithelioid cell granulomas (5), bacillary index (BI) = 0; (2) epithelioid cell granulomas with necrosis (5), BI = 0-1+; (3) acellular necrosis (5), BI = 0-4+; (4) macrophage granuloma (3), BI = 5-6+; and (5) granulation tissue (1), BI = 1+. In 9 group II patients with pure neuritic leprosy, 3 patterns were seen: (1) epithelioid cell granulomas (5), BI 0-6+; (2) epithelioid granulomas with necrosis (1), BI = 0; and (3) acellular necrosis (3), BI = 0-6+.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The entire spectrum of leprosy is seen in nerve aspirates. Necrosis is often a prominent feature. Recognition of the range of cytomorphologic patterns and their correlation with BI contribute to accurate calibration of the disease in nerves, resulting in appropriate choice of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Cytology Section, Department of Pathology, University College of Medical Sciences, Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital, Delhi 110 095, India.
authors.forename: Navjeevan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Abha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.forename: Vinod K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.forename: Arati
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhatia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006099:Granuloma / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015441:Leprosy, Tuberculoid / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology; D009443:Neuritis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies