[Detection of lesions in bone marrow for the diagnosis of miliary tuberculosis: reliability of bone marrow aspiration and biopsy in view of distribution pattern of lesions in autopsy cases].

The usefulness of the serial section method was investigated in four bone marrow aspirates, four biopsies and nine autopsy specimens obtained from patients with miliary tuberculosis who were admitted to our hospital between 1974 and 1994. In original sections, granulomas consistent with tuberculosis were found in two out of four aspirate specimens (50%) but in none of the four bone marrow biopsies. By using serially out sections, however, granulomas were detected in two more aspirate specimens and two biopsies which were negative in original sections. Consequently four of four aspirates (100%) and two of four biopsies ((50%) became positive. In addition, the distribution of granulomas was investigated using vertebral bone marrows obtained from 12 autopsy cases. We divided the vertebral bone marrows obtained from 12 autopsy cases. We divided the vertebra into the peripheral and central portions. Granulomas were more frequently found in the peripheral portions than in the central. The higher detection rate of granulomas in the peripheral bone marrow when the biopsy and aspiration needles easily reach, suggests that bone marrow aspiration and/or biopsy would be a useful procedure for the diagnosis miliary tuberculosis. Therefore if serial sections were utilized for such samples in the miliary tuberculosis patients, the detection rate is expected to became much higher.