Superficial and deep-seated tuberculous lesions: fine-needle aspiration cytology diagnosis of 574 cases.

Over a period of 2 yr (1987-1988), FNA smears in 574 cases were found to have cytologic features suggestive of or consistent with tuberculous lesions. The age of the patients ranged from 6 mo to 75 ye, with a median of 24 yr. The male to female ratio was 273:301. Sites of FNA were superficial lymph nodes (SLN) in 440 (76.7 percent) cases, superficial extranodal sites (SENS) in 50 (8.7 percent), both SLN and SENS in 7 (1.2%), the thoracic cavity in 16 (2.8%), and the abdominal cavity in 61 (10.6%). Cytologic features were described under 3 major cytologic patterns, i.e., type I: epithelioid granuloma without necrosis, type II: epithelioid granuloma with necrosis, type III: necrosis without epithelioid granuloma. Type I, II, and III reactions were observed in 181 (31.5%), 183 (31.9%), and 210 (36.6%) cases, respectively. The overall AFB positivity was 30.8%. The AFB positivities for type I, II, and III cytologic reactions were 5.4%, 32.0%, and 48.5%, respectively. The AFB positivity was low (less than 30.0%) in swellings of the body surface (23.8%) and abdominal organs (18.9%). High positivity (greater than 60.0%) was observed in lesions of the thorax (63.6%) and thyroid (62.5%).