Is fine needle aspiration cytology a useful tool for the diagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis?
EAST AFRICAN MEDICAL JOURNAL 1999;
76:260-3. [PMID:
10750505]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To study the role of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the diagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis and find a place for FNAC as laboratory diagnostic method in tuberculosis (TB) control programmes.
DESIGN
Prospective laboratory study.
METHOD
Duplicate smears from 127 lymph node aspiration were prepared. Both slides were air-dried. Giemsa stain for cytological examination and Ziehl-Neelsen stain for demonstration of acid fast bacillus(AFB) were used and examined by a pathologist and laboratory technologist respectively.
SETTING
Tigrai Regional Health Research and Laboratory Centre which is the only unit with microbiological and cytopathological service in the region.
SUBJECTS
Patients with one or more enlarged lymph nodes who were sent for FNAC were included.
RESULTS
The AFB positivity among the cytologically diagnosed cases of TB lymphadenitis was 56.77%. If we had used culture media for Mycobacterium spp, the positivity would have probably been higher. The positivity rate varied depending on the type of the aspirate. Caseous aspirate showed a higher positivity rate of 60.47% whereas no AFBs were detected in haemorrhagic aspirates.
CONCLUSION
This study has demonstrated the usefulness of FNAC in the diagnosis of TB lymphadenitis and the national TB and leprosy control programmes should encompass FNAC as a diagnostic means instead of biopsy which is more invasive and costly.
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