Observation on Sputum Cytology in Pulmonary Tuberculosis

폐결핵증 객담의 세포병리학적 관찰

  • Park, In-Ae (Department of Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Ham, Eui-Keun (Department of Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Lee, Sang-Kook (Department of Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine)
  • 박인애 (서울대학교 의과대학 병리학교실) ;
  • 함의근 (서울대학교 의과대학 병리학교실) ;
  • 이상국 (서울대학교 의과대학 병리학교실)
  • Published : 1993.12.30

Abstract

Sputum smears of 116 cases in 55 pulmonary tuberculosis patients with the demonstration of acid-fast bacilli in sputum were retrospectively reviewed to investigate the cytologic diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in sputum. Epithelioid cells, multinucleated giant cells of Langhans or nonspecific type, or necrotic materials of caseation or nonspecific nature were found in 40% of the cases, but in 60% of the cases, only nonspecific findings including squamous metaplasia were found. Only in 6% of the cases, the cytologic diagnosis of tuberculosis was possible with the findings of epithelioid cells and muitlnucleated giant cells in a necrotic background.

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