Tropical Journal of Pathology and Microbiology

Conventional transbronchial needle aspiration cytology as a diagnostic tool in patients with suspected lung cancer - Our experience at a tertiary care center.

2020-10-12T05:43:54+00:00

Background: Conventional transbronchial needle aspiration (c-TBNA) is a minimally invasive bronchoscopic technique used to obtain cytological samples from peribronchial lesions and mediastinal lymph nodes. However, the concern about its efficacy and the advent of newer techniques have led to the underutilization of this time tested and cost-effective modality.

Objective: The present study was aimed to assess the diagnostic yield of c-TBNA in suspected cases of lung cancer.

Method: c-TBNA smears received from January 2017 to February 2020, with clinical-radiological suspicion of lung malignancy were retrospectively analyzed.

Result: A total of 22 cases were reviewed. The mean age of the study population was 57.54 years, with a male-female ratio of ~2:1. The adequate aspirate was obtained in 19/22 (86%) cases. The overall diagnostic yield of c-TBNA was 82%. 14/19 (74%) cases were positive for malignancy, non-small cell lung carcinoma being the most common malignancy diagnosed (11 cases). 4/19 (21%) cases were diagnosed with granulomatous pathology, while smears in 1 case were non-diagnostic.

Conclusion: Conventional transbronchial needle aspiration cytology is an efficacious method used for the diagnosis of lung carcinoma. Especially in resource-limited settings, it remains irreplaceable as a diagnostic tool and should be routinely utilized.

A study on evaluation of the role of fine-needle aspiration cytology in the etiology of lymphadenopathy in the rural population attending tertiary care hospital

2020-11-10T13:11:19+00:00

Introduction: Lymph nodes are a site for organized collections of lymphoreticular tissue and are pink-gray bean-shaped encapsulated organs. Lymph nodes are among the commonly aspirated organs for diagnostic purposes. Lymphadenopathy is of great clinical significance as underlying diseases may range from a treatable infectious etiology to malignant neoplasms Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a reliable as well as an inexpensive method used to diagnose lymphadenopathy of various sites.

Aims: To evaluate the usefulness of FNAC as a diagnostic tool in the etiological causes of lymphadenopathy and to study the cytomorphological features associated with various lymphadenopathies.

Materials and Methods: The present prospective study was carried out in the Department of Pathology at Maharajah's Institute of Medical Sciences, Vizianagaram, a Tertiary Care Centre. A total of 210 patients of all age groups underwent FNAC of enlarged lymph nodes during this study period.

Results: FNAC diagnosis was found to be as follows: tubercular lymphadenitis in 98 cases (46.67%) followed by reactive hyperplasia in 35 cases (16.67%), metastatic carcinoma 29 (13.8%), granulomatous lymphadenitis 27 (12.85%), non-specific lymphadenitis 8 (3.8%), acute suppurative lymphadenitis 7 (3.33%) and lymphoma 4 (1.8).

Conclusion: FNAC of lymph nodes is an excellent first-line investigation to determine the nature of the lesion. It is quick, safe, minimally invasive, and reliable and is readily accepted by the patient.

A retrospective study on histomorphological spectrum of ovarian lesions in a tertiary care hospital

2020-11-10T13:12:40+00:00

Introduction: Gynecological morbidity is defined as any condition, disease, or dysfunction of the reproductive system which is not related to pregnancy, abortion, or childbirth. A significant number of ovarian lesions have been known to cause Gynecological morbidity among most females. With the increased use of screening modalities, ovarian lesions have increasingly been encountered for pathological analysis. It is important to evaluate the pattern of clinical presentation, corroborating with histological diagnosis.

Purpose: The present study was carried out to evaluate the histomorphological spectrum of various ovarian lesions among women in Puducherry.

Material and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on 350 ovarian samples received for five years in the Department of Pathology, of our tertiary teaching hospital. Clinicopathological data were retrieved from the hospital records. The histomorphological analysis was reviewed and neoplastic and non-neoplastic ovarian lesions were segregated according to the World Health Organization classification.

Results: Based on histology, the predominant ovarian lesions diagnosed were non-neoplastic conditions including simple and follicular cyst, corpus luteal cyst, corpus hemorrhagic cyst, and cystic follicles constituting 40.6% on the right side and 34% on the left side. Malignancy was predominant on the right side (1.7%) while the same was 0.6% on the left side.

Conclusion: The present study has identified that non-neoplastic lesions are more common in ovaries than neoplastic lesions and it has identified that serous cystadenomas are the most common ovarian neoplastic lesions.

Evaluation of pre-donation anxiety and attitude of blood donors and its effect on blood pressure and pulse rate

2020-11-13T13:16:26+00:00

Background: Previous negative experiences (NEs) during the process of blood donation can result in increased stress and is indicated by blood pressure and pulse rate, at a subsequent donation. The present study investigated the effect of attitude and anxiety in 1st time and regular blood donors with or without any previous NE on the pre-donation blood pressure and pulse rate.

Materials and methods: Pre-donation blood pressure and pulse rate in 1st time and regular donors were measured. The attitude and anxiety were evaluated using a questionnaire and the relationship with a previous NE was assessed. Its effect on the blood pressure and pulse rate was subsequently evaluated. The study was a between-subjects, observational design.

Results: Of the total 200 donors, 165 were males. 54 donors showed signs of anxiety whereas 33 donors had a previous NE. 11 donors (22.44%) who had a previous negative experience showed raised blood pressure whereas 9 donors (18.36%) with a previous negative experience showed a raised pulse rate. Both effective (-0.293) and cognitive (-0.0159) attitudes were negatively correlated with anxiety and were found to be statistically significant.

Conclusion: No significant association was seen in a donor who experienced a negative experience in a previous visit with raised pre-donation blood pressure however, was significantly associated with a raised pulse rate. Moreover, anxiety and increased blood pressure, and increased pulse rate were assessed in first-time donors and it was seen that first-time donors especially showed raised blood pressure and pulse rate.

Scrotal abscess with xanthogranulomatous epididymo-orchitis: a case report of rare diagnostic entity

2020-11-13T10:55:27+00:00

Xanthogranulomatous epididymo-orchitis is an extremely rare diagnostic entity presenting as a scrotal mass with or without pain. Rarely, it can affect prostate, epididymis, and testicle. It can mimic a testicular malignancy both clinically as well as radiologically, hence, careful pathological examination and biomarker study are essential to rule out malignancy. We report a case of 50 years old male with increasing right testicular swelling with a discharging pus. Skin over scrotum was gangrenous. Right orchidectomy was performed. Histopathological diagnosis revealed features of xanthogranulomatous epididymo-orchitis with no evidence of malignancy. IHC markers for tumor were negative.

Desmoplastic Infantile Astrocytoma and Desmoplastic Infantile Ganglioglioma – not so infantile anymore

2020-11-13T10:57:17+00:00

DIA and DIG are rare, infantile, supratentorial neoplasms that usually occur in children before 2 years of age and are exceedingly rare in older age groups. They appear as hypodense, cystic masses with solid components showing dural attachment on neuroimaging. They are characterized by reticulin-rich spindle cell stroma containing connective tissue due to meningeal involvement, microscopically. These tumors have potential for misdiagnosis because they contain varying proportions of neoplastic glial, neuronal and poorly differentiated cells, which causes them to have a “small round blue cell tumor” like appearance, though they have a good prognosis if correctly diagnosed. The current study report two cases diagnosed at our institution that had very late presentation with varying complaints which challenged the normally believed dictum of these tumors being entirely infantile.

Sex cord-stromal tumor with annular tubules of the ovary – a case report

2020-11-21T08:43:07+00:00

Sex cord-stromal tumors with annular tubules (SCTAT) of the ovary are rare. They have two clinical presentation forms: the syndromic form which is associated with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome and the non-syndromic form which is frequently seen in the second or third decades. We describe a 25-year-old patient who underwent exploratory laparotomy. Macroscopically large ovarian mass was 24.5×24×8 cm in diameter, encapsulated, congested, and lobulated. On the cut section, it was greyish with small cystic and hemorrhagic areas. Microscopically, the tumor mass is composed of many simple and complex tubular structures that have eosinophilic PAS-positive hyaline globules in the center and are surrounded by peripheral palisading of the cells. Finally, the tumor was diagnosed as non-syndromic ovarian SCTAT.