Journal of Pathology and Translational Medicine

Original Article

Comparison of Ziehl-Neelsen Stain and TB-PCR on Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosisin Formalin-fixed, Paraffin-embedded Tissues of Chronic Granulomatous Inflammation.: Min Sun Cho, Shi Nae Lee, Sun Hee Sung, Woon Sup Han; Korean J Pathol. 2003;37(6):379-383.

Abstract PDF: BACKGROUND
TB-PCR is a faster and more sensitive method to detect mycobacterium than acid-fast bacilli (AFB) stain, which is laborious and time consuming. We compared the sensitivity and specificity of AFB stain and TB-PCR and examined the possibility of TB-PCR as a confirmative test without AFB stain in the diagnosis of tuberculosis.
METHODS
We performed Ziehl-Neelsen stain and nested PCR using a commercially available TB-PCR kit amplifying IS6110 sequence in 81 cases of paraffin-embedded tissues diagnosed as chronic granulomatous inflammation. In addition, we evaluated the morphology of granuloma and the presence of caseation necrosis.
RESULTS
Of the 81 cases studied, 22 (27.2%) and 40 (49.4%) were positive for AFB stain and TB-PCR, respectively. Of 49 cases accompanying caseation necrosis, 19 (38.8%) were AFB stain positive and 37 (75.5%) were TB-PCR positive; a result that is comparable with that of other reports. Of the 22 AFB-positive cases, 2 were TB-PCR negative.
CONCLUSION
TB-PCR is very helpful for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in routinely processed, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples. Nevertheless, AFB stain should continue to be performed at the same time.

Case Report

Primary Cerebral B Cell Lymphoma: A "ghost tumor" case report.: Hye Jae Cho, Jung Won Shim, Sang Keun Park, Joon Suk Song, Gham Hur, Hyun Sook Seo; Korean J Pathol. 1991;25(1):68-75.

Abstract PDF: Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the brain is a rare malignancy and there are known to occur almost exclusively in brain parenchyme. Recent immunological advances and immunohistochemical techniques have provided new insights into the pathogenesis and diagnosis of the malignant lymphoma even in the small biopsied tissue and the majority of these CNS tumors is thought to be derived from B lymphocytes. A 22-year old man was admitted due to headack, dizziness and walking difficulty for 2 months. On the initial CT scan, there were two enhancing lesion in the suprasellar area and pineal gland which were completely disappeared with steroid therapy and three new lesions appeared on the follow-up CT and MRI studies in corpus callosum, third ventricle and left cerebral peduncle. The serial cytologic smears of cerebrospinal fluid and a stereotaxic biopsy tissue from the corpus callosum mass showed diffusely homogenous infiltration of neoplastic large noncleaved lymphocytes with focal perivascular arrangement. On the immunocytochemical stains, the reaction was negative for GFAP, positive for LCA and MB2, and negative for MT1. After radiation therapy, the masses completely disappeared on the follow-up CT scan and the patient was discharged free of all the clinical symptoms.

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