A case of pulmonary aspergillosis discovered due to calcium oxalate crystals in bronchial brushing cytological specimens.

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  • 気管支擦過細胞診標本中のしゅう酸カルシウム結晶が真菌発見の契機となった肺アスペルギルス症の１例

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Background: It is difficult to diagnose pulmonary aspergillosis when no mycelium is found in histological specimens. We report here a case of pulmonary aspergilloma which was diagnosed by crystals in cytological specimens.<BR>Case: A 64-year-old man with diabetes was admitted to our hospital on Oct. 14, 1997, because of cough, fever, and hemosputum. The chest roentogenographs showed a cavity with inflammatory changes at the upper and middle lesion of the right lung, a finding consistent with the presence of pulmonary tuberculosis. Bronchial brushing and washing smear revealed inflammatory exudate and numerous birefringent crystals which formed a sheath of needle-like crystals. Crystals which were colorless, and formed rosette, butterfly, pine needle, and flat structures were identified as calcium oxalate by histochemical analysis. As these findings sug-gested the presence of mycelia, a second bronchial fiberscopy was performed. Aspergillus niger was isolated by culture from the specimen obtained on the second bronchial fibers-copy. Interestingly, isolated Aspergillus niger was found to produce. calcium oxalate in the culture medium.<BR>Conclusion: Even though mycelium is not detected in pulmonary cytological specimens, the finding of birefringent sheaf-like calcium oxalate crystals with inflammatory exudate suggests the presence of Aspergillus infection.

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Details 詳細情報について

  • CRID
    1390001204691556864
  • NII Article ID
    130003926606
  • DOI
    10.5795/jjscc.38.431
  • ISSN
    18827233
    03871193
  • Text Lang
    ja
  • Data Source
    • JaLC
    • Crossref
    • CiNii Articles
  • Abstract License Flag
    Disallowed

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