Transthoracic Aspiration Cytology for the Diagnosis of Thoracic Infectiont
ANUCHA TANGTHANGTHAM, M.D.*,
PONGLADA SUBHANNACHART, M.D.**,
SUTARAT TUNGSAGUNWA TTANA, M.D.**
Affiliation : * Division of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Patumtani 12120,
** Department of Radiology, Central Chest Hospital, Nontaburi 11000, Thailand.
t Presented at the lith National Congress of Pathology, Songkhla, March I 7, 1999.
AbstractThe article describes the use and results of transthoracic aspiration cytology for diagnosis
of thoracic infection in a Thai referral chest center. We reviewed 60 cytologic samples, initially
diagnosed as thoracic infection or inflammation among a total of 532 percutaneous transthoracic
needle aspirations obtained from patients with clinical suspicion of malignancy in a period of 6
years. Follow-up clinical data were collected and correlated with cytologic diagnosis. We found
specific microorganisms in 8 samples (13.33% ). These included 4 cases of actinomycosis, 3 cases
of cryptococcosis and a case of aspergillosis. Granulomatous inflammation was found in 12
samples (20.00% ). Among these patients, 10 cases were verified as having tuberculosis. The
remaining 40 samples (66.67%) revealed acute inflammatory exudate with no specific micro
organism. Follow-up clinical data confirmed or assumed infection in 27 cases. Therefore, in
patients with thoracic infection who presented with clinical suspicion of malignancy, from our
experience, aspiration cytology revealed adequate morphology for accurate diagnosis which
resulted in prompt specific treatment and better prognosis.
Keywords : Aspiration Cytology, Thoracic Infection, Transthoracic Aspiration
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