title: Cytodiagnosis of actinomycetoma.
abstract: Mycetoma is a late clinical manifestation of a subcutaneous infection produced by bacteria (actinomycetoma) or fungi (eumycetoma). The distinction between eumycetoma and actinomycetoma in Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) is as accurate as histopathology. A 55 year old man presented with a slow growing swelling on the plantar aspect of the right foot which was present for the last 10 years. A clinical diagnosis of soft tissue tumor was made and FNAC was advised. Smears revealed mixed inflammatory infiltrate and foreign body type of giant cells along with clumps of fibrillar organisms. Gram stain done later demonstrated gram positive thin branching filaments. A diagnosis of actinomycetoma was rendered. Histopathology of the excised specimen confirmed the cytologic diagnosis of actinomycetoma. Mycetoma can be accurately diagnosed by FNAC, which is a simple, inexpensive technique for rapid diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Fr Muller Medical College, Mangalore, India. hilda67@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Hilda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Clement R S
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: D'souza
authors.forename: Jayaprakash C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Shekar
authors.forename: Nisha J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Marla
authors.forename: Gumballi K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Swethadri
authors.forename: Ramesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Naik
mesh_terms: D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008271:Mycetoma / Q000473:pathology*; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology