Mycobacterial Diseases
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-1068
+44 1478 350008
ISSN: 2161-1068
+44 1478 350008
Atsuhisa Tamura
Center for Pulmonary Diseases, National Hospital Organization Tokyo National Hospital,
3-1-1 Takeoka, Kiyose-shi, 204-8585
Japan
Research Article
Epithelioid Cell Granuloma Detection in the Sputum of Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Author(s): Atsuhisa Tamura, Akira Hebisawa, Masahiro Shimada, Junko Suzuki, Akira Yamane, Hideaki Nagai and Ken OhtaAtsuhisa Tamura, Akira Hebisawa, Masahiro Shimada, Junko Suzuki, Akira Yamane, Hideaki Nagai and Ken Ohta
Background: Epithelioid cell granulomas (ECG) are evident in the histology of various pulmonary diseases, including pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB); however, the diagnostic value of ECG in sputum cytology for patients with granulomatous lung diseases is unclear.
Methods: To evaluate the value of identifying ECG in the sputum of patients with PTB and other respiratory diseases, we retrospectively reviewed the cytology database and clinical profiles of patients admitted to our department between 2003 and 2011.
Results: Of the 11,782 patients examined by sputum cytology, ECG was detected in the cytology specimens of 32 (0.3%) patients. Thirty-one of these patients had PTB, and the remaining patient had pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacteriosis (PNTM). There were no ECG-positive cases among patients with other respiratory dise.. View More»
DOI:
10.4172/2161-1068.1000158