Acid-fast-positive Legionella pneumophila: A possible pitfall in the cytologic diagnosis of mycobacterial infection in pulmonary specimens
Corresponding Author
Joel S. Bentz M.D.
Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
Department of Pathology, University of Utah Health Sciences Center, 50 North Medical Dr., Salt Lake City, UT 84132.Search for more papers by this authorKaren Carroll M.D.
Department of Pathology and Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
Search for more papers by this authorJohn H. Ward M.D.
Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
Search for more papers by this authorMark Elstad M.D.
Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
Department of Medicine, Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Search for more papers by this authorC. Jay Marshall M.D.
Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Joel S. Bentz M.D.
Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
Department of Pathology, University of Utah Health Sciences Center, 50 North Medical Dr., Salt Lake City, UT 84132.Search for more papers by this authorKaren Carroll M.D.
Department of Pathology and Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
Search for more papers by this authorJohn H. Ward M.D.
Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
Search for more papers by this authorMark Elstad M.D.
Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
Department of Medicine, Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Search for more papers by this authorC. Jay Marshall M.D.
Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
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. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2000;22:45–48. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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