01750nas a2200301   4500000000100000008004100001260001700042653001900059653001400078653001600092653001100108653001200119653001600131653002300147653000900170653001600179653002500195653002600220653001300246100001500259700001300274700001200287245007900299300001100378490000700389520103800396022001401434       1986                            d  c1986 Mar-Apr10aBiopsy, Needle10aCytoplasm10aHistiocytes10aHumans10aleprosy10aLymph Nodes10aLymphatic Diseases10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aMycobacterium leprae10aStaining and Labeling10aVacuoles1 aCavett J R1 aMcAfee R1 aRamzy I00aHansen's disease (leprosy). Diagnosis by aspiration biopsy of lymph nodes.  a189-930 v303 a<p>A 61-year-old male native of Mexico presented with generalized enlargement of lymph nodes. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy established lepromatous leprosy as the cause of the lymphadenopathy. The cytologic findings included abundant, frequently multinucleated histiocytes (globus cells), the cytoplasm of which showed multiple vacuoles; cytoplasmic membrane-bound vacuoles were seen free in the background. The vacuoles contained large numbers of acid-fast bacilli. Globus cells, while characteristic, are not specific for Mycobacterium leprae infection and are seen in certain atypical mycobacterioses in immunodeficient patients. This appears to be the first report of lymphadenopathy due to lepromatous leprosy in which the diagnosis was made by FNA biopsy. The immunologic spectrum of leprosy is correlated with clinical and pathologic findings, and the need to remember infectious processes in evaluating lymphadenopathy and the value of reserving air-dried and alcohol-fixed smears for special stains are emphasized.</p>  a0001-5547