title: Role of fine-needle aspiration cytology in human immunodeficiency virus-associated lymphadenopathy: a cross-sectional study from northern India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the role of fine-needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated lymphadenopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary care teaching hospital, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty consecutive HIV-positive patients, who presented with lymphadenopathy at the out-patient department and antiretroviral therapy clinic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tubercular lymphadenitis was the most common diagnosis, reported in 74% (n=37) of patients; 97.2% of them were acid-fast bacilli-positive. Reactive lymphadenitis and fungal lymphadenitis were present in 10 and 1 cases, respectively. The most common cytomorphological pattern of tubercular lymphadenitis was necrotising suppurative lymphadenitis, present in 43.2% (n=16) of patients. Of eight biopsies done in reactive cases, six turned out to be tubercular lymphadenitis. Fine-needle aspiration cytology had a sensitivity of 83.7% for diagnosing tubercular lymphadenitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Necrotising suppurative lymphadenitis should be recognised as an established pattern of tubercular lymphadenitis. Reactive patterns should be considered inconclusive rather than a negative result, and re-evaluated with lymph node biopsy. Fine-needle aspiration cytology is an excellent test for diagnosing tubercular lymphadenitis in HIV-associated lymphadenopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, PGIMER and Dr RML Hospital, New Delhi 110001, India.
authors.forename: Naveen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, PGIMER and Dr RML Hospital, New Delhi 110001, India.
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, PGIMER and Dr RML Hospital, New Delhi 110001, India.
authors.forename: Brijesh
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, PGIMER and Dr RML Hospital, New Delhi 110001, India.
authors.forename: Manju
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaushal
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, PGIMER and Dr RML Hospital, New Delhi 110001, India.
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Rewari
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, PGIMER and Dr RML Hospital, New Delhi 110001, India.
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sundriyal
mesh_terms: D000386:AIDS-Related Complex / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008199:Lymphadenitis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D010045:Outpatients
keywords: Biopsy, fine-needle; HIV; Lymphatic diseases