Bone marrow aspiration, biopsy, and culture in the evaluation of HIV-infected patients for invasive mycobacteria and histoplasma infections

Predictive model for diagnostic yield of bone marrow examination in patients with HIV infection having fever of unknown origin

OBJECTIVE

Bone marrow examination is valuable for identifying the cause of fever of unknown origin (FUO) in HIV-infected patients. Based on the outcomes of bone marrow examination of patients with FUO, we aimed to develop a predictive model for identifying the factors that can increase the diagnostic yield of bone marrow examination.

DESIGN

For this retrospective cohort study, we enrolled HIV-infected patients, aged more than 15 years and diagnosed with FUO, at Songklanakarind Hospital in Southern Thailand, between January 2009 and December 2019.

METHODS

Evaluations were based on bone marrow aspiration, biopsy, and culture; any missing data were imputed with regression imputation.

RESULTS

Among the final 108 included patients, 44 (40.74%) showed positive bone marrow results. The diagnoses mainly comprised histoplasmosis, penicilliosis, and tuberculosis. Bone marrow examination led to treatment modifications in approximately 33% patients. Platelet count less than 150 000 cells/μl, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level at least 200 U/l, and no previous antibiotic treatment were significantly associated with higher diagnostic yields. The HIV bone marrow (HIVBM) model, comprising of spleen size, hematocrit (Hct), platelet count before bone marrow examination, ALP level at admission, and previous antibiotic treatment, was generated as a nomogram to predict the diagnostic yield of bone marrow examination in HIV-infected patients with FUO.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study indicate that the HIVBM model can be used to predict the diagnostic yield of bone marrow examination, and therefore assist in clinical decision-making regarding bone marrow procedures, to be performed for identifying the origin of fever in HIV-infected patients.

Epidural intracranial abscesses and multiple bone metastases caused by disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex infection: illustrative case

BACKGROUND

Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) generally causes localized pulmonary infections in immunocompromised hosts, but rarely in other organs and tissues, which is called disseminated MAC infection.

OBSERVATIONS

The authors herein present a 48-year-old male patient with disseminated MAC infectious lesions in the lungs and on the cranial, vertebral, femoral, and pelvic bones, a normal CD4 count, and immunopositivity for the interferon-ɤ (IFN-ɤ) neutralization antibody. Cranial lesions were multiple osteolytic lesions associated with abscesses in the cranial bones. The patient initially received conservative treatment with multiple antibiotics; however, cranial lesions worsened. Therefore, multiple cranial lesions were removed via osteoplastic craniectomy and the postoperative course was uneventful. Pathological findings revealed MAC infection. The patient was discharged without recurrence or complications.

LESSONS

Multiple cranial MAC dissemination with immunopositivity for the IFN-ɤ antibody is rare. The authors herein present the clinical course of a rare surgical case of MAC dissemination with a literature review.

Evaluation of the clinical impact of bone marrow cultures in current medical practice

The clinical yield and benefit of performing bone marrow cultures for various clinical indications has been challenged and their clinical necessity remains debatable. We sought to assess the clinical yield and benefit of performing routine bone marrow cultures and determine whether various clinical, laboratory, and imaging parameters were predictive of a diagnostic bone marrow culture. This was a single center retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent a bone marrow study comprising bone marrow cultures from January 1, 2012, through March 1, 2018. Baseline clinical data were extracted from the institution's electronic medical records system. The analyzed cohort consisted of 139 patients with a median age of 46 years (range 4 months to 85 years). The most common indication for a bone marrow study was workup of a fever of unknown origin (105 patients, 76%) while investigation for infection in immunocompromised patients accounted for 22 cases (16%) and suspected tuberculosis was the reason for acquisition of bone marrow cultures in 6 patients (4%). Only 3 patients had positive bone marrow cultures, yielding in 2 patients a diagnosis of Mycobacterium avium and in one patient a microbiologically unclassifiable fungal infection. A univariate analysis revealed that mean age, hemoglobin level, platelet count, c-reactive protein levels, gender, indication for bone marrow study, yield of blood cultures, and contribution of imaging studies and bone marrow pathology results were not significantly different between patients with diagnostic and non-diagnostic bone marrow cultures. Mean white blood cell count was found to be significantly lower in patients with diagnostic bone marrow cultures (2.4 × 10³/µL versus 8.7 × 10³/µL; P = 0.038). We conclude that for most patients, performance of bone marrow cultures holds limited clinical value.

Bone Marrow Aspiration/Biopsy in the Evaluation of Fever of Unknown Origin in Patients with AIDS

BACKGROUND

HIV can interrupt the normal development of bone marrow cell lines. Bone marrow aspiration/biopsy (BMA/B) has been described as a diagnostic tool in AIDS patients with fever of unknown origin (FUO). In this review, we aimed to study patients with AIDS who had undergone a BMA/B to investigate FUO and describe the pathologies diagnosed in the biopsy.

METHODS

Thirty-four BMA/B samples were collected from AIDS patients admitted for work-up of FUO to the infectious disease ward of a tertiary referral HIV center in Tehran, Iran, between September 2014 and September 2015. Data including age, sex, duration of disease, CD4 cell counts, hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) coinfection, the primary presentation of AIDS, and the treatment history were retrieved and analyzed. Patients underwent BMA/B. An expert pathologist reviewed the BMA/B specimens.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 37.5 years (range, 26-56), and 27 (79%) were men. Twenty-seven (79%) patients contracted HIV from injection drug use, and 7 (21%) via sexual transmission. Only 3 (9%) of the BMA/B examinations were normal. Hypocellular bone marrow was diagnosed in 22 (65%) patients. Other pathologies included granulomas in 6 (18%), hematologic malignancies in 2 (6%), and leishmaniasis Aspergillosis, each in 1 (3%) patient. Six (17%) of the specimens were found to have tuberculosis infections.

CONCLUSION

Hypocellular bone marrow was the most common pathology on BMA/B examinations, followed by the presence of granulomas. Tuberculosis, Aspergillosis, and Leishmaniasis the opportunistic infections diagnosed on BMA/B specimens. Our results support BMA/B as an appropriate diagnostic tool for early diagnosis of opportunistic infections and malignancies in AIDS. BMA/B is indispensable in the armament of diagnostic tools of the physicians managing AIDS patients.

Granuloma whorls

What is the significance of bone marrow examination in presence of peripheral cytopenias? It is still regarded as a mandatory investigation to diagnose hematological disorders. In this case, bone marrow trephine was initially done as a diagnosis of exclusion for ITP, whereas it revealed multiple granulomas suggesting mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.

Disseminated Histoplasmosis as AIDS-presentation. Case Report and Comprehensive Review of Current Literature

Progressive disseminated histoplasmosis (PDH) is an AIDS-defining illness with a high lethality rate if not promptly treated. The wide range of its possible clinical manifestations represents the main barrier to diagnosis in non-endemic countries. Here we present a case of PDH with haemophagocytic syndrome in a newly diagnosed HIV patient and a comprehensive review of disseminated histoplasmosis focused on epidemiology, clinical features, diagnostic tools and treatment options in HIV-infected patients.

Disseminated Mycobacterium avium-Intracellulare Complex Infection Presenting With Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in an AIDS Patient

Disseminated Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (MAC) infection is one of the relatively common opportunistic infections seen in severely immunocompromised AIDS patients. A constellation of clinical, laboratory, and pathological features involving multiple organ systems are often present in disseminated MAC infection but disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) has not been previously described in association with this condition. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of DIC complicating disseminated MAC infection in an AIDS patient. In this article, we present the case of a 33-year-old AIDS patient with high viral load, CD4 lymphocyte count of 1/mm³, who presented with nonspecific symptoms, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and increased lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, and ferritin. She also had abnormal coagulation parameters and features compatible with chronic DIC. Bone marrow biopsy assisted in making the correct diagnosis. She also later grew MAC from blood and sputum cultures. There were no other factors identified after a complete workup to explain DIC in this patient. After commencement of appropriate MAC therapy, she initially had a good response with some improvement of her coagulation parameters. Few months later, however, probably attributable to poor medication compliance, her condition deteriorated with development of thromboembolism, full-fledged DIC, sepsis, and an eventual fatal outcome. This case illustrates the importance of including disseminated MAC in the differential diagnosis of DIC in an AIDS patient.

Haematological manifestations of human immune deficiency virus infection

Early in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic, infected patients presented to medical attention with striking abnormalities in each of the major blood cell lineages. The reasons for these derangements remain complex and multifactorial. HIV infects multipotent haematopoietic progenitor cells and establish latent cellular reservoirs, disturbs the bone marrow microenvironment and also causes immune dysregulation. These events lead to cytokine imbalances and disruption of other factors required for normal haematopoiesis. Activation of the reticulo-endothelial system can also result in increased blood cell destruction. The deleterious effects of medications, including first and second generation anti-retroviral agents, on haematopoiesis were well documented in the early years of HIV care; in the current era of HIV-care, the advent of newer and less toxic anti-retroviral drugs have had a more beneficial impact on haematopoiesis. Due to impaired regulation of the immune system and potential side effects of one or more anti-retroviral agents, there is also an increase in coagulation abnormalities such as thromboembolism, and less frequently, acquired disorders of coagulation including thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, immune thrombocytopenic purpura and acquired inhibitors of coagulation. In this article we review the epidemiology and aetiology of select non-oncological haematological disorders commonly seen in people living with HIV-acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare, potentially fatal condition that can be primary or secondary. Secondary HLH can occur in association with infections, most commonly viral infections, but has also been reported in association with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB). Prompt identification of the underlying cause of HLH is important as it guides treatment decisions. Early initiation of appropriate treatment (eg, anti-TB treatment) reduces morbidity and mortality. We present a case of HLH associated with TB infection. Initial TB investigations were negative and standard combination chemoimmunotherapy for HLH resulted in a limited clinical response. On apparent relapse of HLH, further investigation revealed TB with changes on CT chest, granuloma on bone marrow and eventual positive TB culture on bronchoalveolar lavage. Subsequent treatment with quadruple anti-TB treatment resulted in rapid clinical response and disease remission. We advocate continued monitoring for TB infection in patients with HLH, and prophylaxis or full treatment for those at high risk.

Utility of bone marrow examination for workup of fever of unknown origin in patients with HIV/AIDS

AIMS

The utility of bone marrow aspiration and biopsy (BMAB) as a diagnostic tool in patients with HIV/AIDS and fever of unknown origin (FUO) is a subject of debate. Because highly active antiretroviral therapy has reduced incidence of opportunistic infections, it is important to reassess the efficacy of BMAB for this diagnostic purpose. To our knowledge, no such studies have been performed in Harris County which has the highest incidence of HIV in the state of Texas.

METHODS

We reviewed all BMABs from patients with HIV/AIDS and FUO or persistent cytopenia(s) from 2007 to 2011.

RESULTS

Of 57 evaluable patients, BMAB was positive in 24 samples by acid fast bacilli (AFB) or Gomori methenamine silver (GMS) stains (17.5%), presence of granuloma and/or lymphohistiocytic aggregates (31.6%), culture (21.0%) or a combination. Cultures demonstrated Mycobacterium avium/intracellulare (4), M tuberculosis (2), M gordonae (1), Histoplasma capsulatum (3) and Cryptococcus neoformans (2). There were three cases in which a pathogen was grown in culture but that had a negative of 'direct examination' on tissue sections (negative AFB and GMS special stains, no morphological evidence of granuloma/lymphohistiocytic infiltrates).

CONCLUSIONS

This study supports the use of diagnostic BMAB as a rapid decision-making tool in patients with HIV and FUO in the proper clinical setting. BMAB demonstrated infection-related evidence prior to positive bone marrow culture in 75% of cases. Special stains and blood cultures had similar diagnostic yield, but BMAB offers faster results. Thus, this procedure assists in clinical decision making and the refinement of treatment in a more timely manner.

Neutropenia during HIV infection: adverse consequences and remedies

Neutropenia frequently occurs in patients with Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Causes for neutropenia during HIV infection are multifactoral, including the viral toxicity to hematopoietic tissue, the use of myelotoxic agents for treatment, complication with secondary infections and malignancies, as well as the patient's association with confounding factors which impair myelopoiesis. An increased prevalence and severity of neutropenia is commonly seen in advanced stages of HIV disease. Decline of neutrophil phagocytic defense in combination with the failure of adaptive immunity renders the host highly susceptible to developing fatal secondary infections. Neutropenia and myelosuppression also restrict the use of many antimicrobial agents for treatment of infections caused by HIV and opportunistic pathogens. In recent years, HIV infection has increasingly become a chronic disease because of progress in antiretroviral therapy (ART). Prevention and treatment of severe neutropenia becomes critical for improving the survival of HIV-infected patients.

Mycobacterial bone marrow infections at a medical centre in Taiwan, 2001-2009

Mycobacterial bone marrow (BM) infection is the most common diagnosis established by BM examinations for fever of unknown origin. In this study, clinical features and outcomes of patients who fulfilled the criteria for BM infection due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) at a medical centre in Taiwan from 2001 to 2009 were investigated. The BM histopathological findings were also analysed. A total of 24 patients (16 men, eight women) with mycobacterial BM infections were found. Of these, nine (38%) were positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and six (25%) had no pre-existing immunocompromised conditions. MTB isolates were obtained from 11 (46%) patients and NTM species were isolated from 10 (42%) patients, including M. avium complex (MAC, n = 7) and M. kansasii (n = 3). Patients with MTB infections were significantly older than those with NTM infections (60·5 vs. 47·7 years, P = 0·043) and were less likely to have a positive BM culture (45% vs. 100%, P = 0·012). The 90-day survival rates for MTB and NTM BM infections were 68% and 60%, respectively (P = 0·61). In addition, the presence of BM granulomas was significantly more common in patients with MTB BM infections than in those with NTM infections (82% vs. 30%, P = 0·030). In Taiwan, the importance of NTM was not inferior to MTB and besides MAC, M. kansasii might be an important pathogen in non-HIV-infected patients. The presence of BM granulomas and caseation provides valuable information regarding early treatment pending culture results.

Systemic mycoses in immunodepressed patients (AIDS)

Infectious and noninfectious skin diseases are observed in about 90% of HIV patients, and their incidence increases and is more severe as the immune system weakens. Cutaneous manifestations are considered good clinical predictors for the immunological condition of the patient with AIDS and the introduction of highly effective antiretroviral therapy totally changed the prognosis of the mycoses, among other diseases associated with AIDS, permitting longer survival and acceptable level of quality of life for these patients. This contribution describes the systemic mycoses that are more frequent in the seropositive population, that is, patients with HIV/AIDS, which are cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, blastomycosis, paracoccidioidomycosis, sporotrichosis, penicilliosis, and aspergillosis. Their causative agents, mode of transmission, clinics, laboratorial diagnosis and therapy, in the aspects related to immunodepressed patients, are reviewed.

[Differential diagnosis and diagnostic strategies of lymphadenopathy]

Besides acute inflammatory swelling of a lymph node, acute lymphadenitis, enlarged lymph nodes occur in conjunction with various benign and malignant diseases. Lymphadenopathy can appear in a localized or generalized form and requires further diagnostic measures. Possible causes are primarily infectious, immunological, neoplastic, and metabolic disorders. The medical history and physical examination provide the first clues to the diagnosis. Localized swollen glands often have an infectious etiology so that the first step is to identify the possible focus of infection. Generalized lymphadenopathy is frequently a sign of a hematological systemic disease, particularly in adults. Therefore, in every case of lymphadenopathy persisting for more than 1 month, invasive diagnostic procedures are indicated to rule out a malignant cause. The aim should be to perform a histological analysis; excision of entire lymph nodes is exigent, especially for the work-up of lymphoma. In cases of malignant lymphoma, staging examinations should subsequently be conducted to assess the prognosis and formulate a treatment plan.

Hematological profile in pyrexia of unknown origin: role of bone marrow trephine biopsy vis-à-vis aspiration

BACKGROUND

Bone marrow examination, by aspiration and/or trephine biopsy, is an important procedure in arriving at a diagnosis for long-duration febrile illness. The role of trephine biopsy in immunocompromised host, especially HIV-positive patients, has been well studied in the literature. However, its utility in immunocompetent patients is still shrouded by controversy. Thus, the authors attempted to evaluate the utility of marrow aspirate vis-à-vis trephine biopsy in establishing a diagnosis in cases of pyrexia of unknown origin in immunocompetent individuals, along with an analysis of haematological alterations in these patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Over a period of 8 years, 121 patients with pyrexia of unknown origin underwent both bone marrow aspiration and trephine biopsy as a part of diagnostic work-up. These cases were reviewed for their clinical data and hematological findings, including detailed morphological features in aspiration smears and trephine biopsies. Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy were compared for their diagnostic efficacy in these patients.

RESULTS

A wide age range (2-65 years) was noted with a slight male predominance (2 : 1). Anemia was the most common feature in peripheral blood findings, seen in 97.5% of patients. Bone marrow aspiration was diagnostic in only 16.5% of cases, which revealed leishmaniasis or pure red cell aplasia. Granulomas were infrequent in marrow aspiration smears, as only two cases (1.6%) showed ill defined epithelioid cell collections. Compared to this, trephine biopsy offered a diagnosis in 76% of the cases. Granulomas were a frequent finding in the trephine biopsy, being present in 70% of the cases included. Additional cases diagnosed on biopsy (over those diagnosed with aspiration smears) included lymphoma, tuberculosis, fungal infection, sarcoidosis and hypocellular marrow.

CONCLUSION

Bone marrow trephine biopsy is an important adjunct to aspiration in arriving at an aetiological diagnosis of patient with long-duration febrile illness, and should be routinely performed in such cases. The presence of granulomas in trephine biopsy increases the likelihood of an etiologic diagnosis in these patients.

Fever of unknown origin in HIV/AIDS patients

Fever of unknown or uncertain origin (FUO) constitutes a common clinical challenge in patients infected with HIV. It is usually caused by disseminated opportunistic infection, and the relative frequency of each cause of FUO is influenced by multiple factors including CD4 count, geographic setting, and local prevalences of infectious agents, which may provide clues to the diagnosis. Infections presenting as FUO in the HIV population occur most often in the late stages of the disease and high diagnostic suspicion for mycobacterial disease should be maintained when evaluating these patients, particularly in areas of high prevalence. This article discusses the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of FUO in HIV-infected individuals.

Comparison of fungal culture versus surgical pathology examination in the detection of Histoplasma in surgically excised pulmonary granulomas

CONTEXT

Granulomatous pulmonary nodules are common in areas endemic for Histoplasma infection, and may require surgical excision to exclude neoplasia. Surgeons may elect to routinely send material directly to the clinical microbiology laboratory for fungal and mycobacterial cultures.

OBJECTIVE

To determine if tissue from surgically excised pulmonary granulomatous nodules removed from patients in a geographic area endemic for Histoplasma infection should be routinely submitted for fungal culture.

DESIGN

Retrospective review and comparison of surgical pathology histochemical findings and clinical microbiology results of 30 surgical (wedge) lung excisions that demonstrated granulomatous nodule at the time of frozen section.

RESULTS

Twenty cases demonstrated fungal organisms consistent with Histoplasma species via histochemical fungal stains. Of these 20 cases, 17 were tested in the microbiology laboratory using direct smear examination and fungal culture; Histoplasma was detected in 1 case (1/17). Eight cases revealed no organisms by surgical pathology. Of these, 6 were tested in the microbiology laboratory, and all 6 were negative by culture and direct smear (0/6). The remaining 2 cases demonstrated organisms other than Histoplasma by surgical pathology examination.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical pathology examination of granulomatous pulmonary nodules detected Histoplasma organisms with greater sensitivity than culture and direct smear. There were no false-negative surgical pathology diagnoses when compared with microbiological results. These findings suggest that it is not necessary to routinely send material from solitary pulmonary granulomas for fungal culture when the material is removed from immunocompetent patients in a geographic area endemic for histoplasmosis.

American histoplasmosis in developing countries with a special focus on patients with HIV: diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Histoplasmosis due to Histoplasma capsulatum var capsulatum is a frequent systemic fungal infection in the Americas. Diagnostic and therapeutic options differ between North and South America. Disseminated histoplasmosis is an AIDS-defining infection. Prognostic factors of potentially severe presentations must be evaluated in order to facilitate the initial therapeutic choice.

RECENT FINDINGS

Patients with HIV with disseminated infections presenting with severe pulmonary and renal impairment have a poor prognosis. Cutaneous presentations are more frequent in HIV patients in South America than in North America. A murine model has shown that South American isolates have a greater virulence that North American isolates. These differences are due in part to diagnostic delays in resource-poor countries.

SUMMARY

Direct examination of May-Grünwald-Giemsa-stained smears or tissues in suspected histoplasmosis is a simple means of confirming the diagnosis in resource-poor settings. Studies of prognostic factors should further refine indication criteria to guide first-line treatment choice between amphotericin B and itraconazole. The association of tuberculosis and histoplasmosis is frequent in HIV patients and presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges that may be difficult to resolve in resource-poor settings. It is important that affordable generic drugs for treating histoplasmosis be made widely available in resource-poor countries.

A pathologist's perspective on bone marrow aspiration and biopsy: I. Performing a bone marrow examination

The bone marrow aspirate and biopsy is an important medical procedure for the diagnosis of hematologic malignancies and other diseases, and for the follow-up evaluation of patients undergoing chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation, and other forms of medical therapy. During the procedure, liquid bone marrow is aspirated from the posterior iliac crest or sternum with a special needle, smeared on glass microscope slides by one of several techniques, and stained by the Wright-Giemsa or other techniques for micro-scopic examination. The bone marrow core biopsy is obtained from the posterior iliac crest with a Jamshidi or similar needle and processed in the same manner as other surgical specimens. Flow cytometric examination, cytochemical stains, cytogenetic and molecular analysis, and other diagnostic procedures can be performed on bone marrow aspirate material, while sections prepared from the bone marrow biopsy can be stained by the immunoperoxidase or other techniques. The bone marrow procedure can be performed with a minimum of discomfort to the patient if adequate local anesthesia is utilized. Pain, bleeding, and infection are rare complications of the bone marrow procedure performed at the posterior iliac crest, while death from cardiac tamponade has rarely occurred from the sternal bone marrow aspiration. The recent development of bone marrow biopsy needles with specially sharpened cutting edges and core-securing devices has reduced the discomfort of the procedure and improved the quality of the specimens obtained.