Abstract
The acid-fast stain is commonly used in the rapid cytologic assessment of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid to detect pulmonary mycobacterial infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients. The identification of acid-fast, rod-shaped organisms may be taken as presumptive evidence of such an infection, in the appropriate clinical setting. However, this determination is made less specific by the occasional acid-fast positivity of microorganisms other than mycobacteria. We report on the occurrence of a fatal pneumonia caused by acid-fast positive Legionella pneumophila detected by BAL. This is a potential pitfall in the rapid diagnosis of pulmonary mycobacterial infections.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 45-48 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Diagnostic cytopathology |
Volume | 22 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2000 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Acid-fast stain
- Bronchoalveolar lavage
- Legionella
- Mycobacteria
- Pulmonary
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pathology and Forensic Medicine
- Histology