FNA lymph node: Tuberculosis,
Pseudo-Gaucher cells
INTERESTING CASE OF THE MONTH - May 2000
M-G-G staining, many rod-shaped negatively stained bacteria

M-G-G staining, many rod-shaped negatively stained bacteria

Ziehl-Neelsen staining, the rod-shaped bacteria are positively stained

Ziehl-Neelsen staining, the rod-shaped bacteria are positively stained

Lymph node FNA, Ziehl-Neelsen staining
Strongly positive for acid-fast bacilli

Presence of many acid-fast bacilli, both intra- and extra-cellular ones, explains the "negative" image (pseudo-Gaucher cells) seen on the M-G-G stained smears. The culture was positive for M. tuberculosis. (The patient was taking oral corticoids for a dermatological condition).
Note: the term pseudo-Gaucher cell is commonly used for the foamy globoid histiocytes/plasma cells seen in the bone marrow of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia and some lymphomas. May be that we should use pseudo-pseudo-Gaucher for the Mycobaterium loaded ones...

Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Pathology & Cytopathology Laboratories
Porto Alegre, RS Brazil



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