BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a newly described form of atypical pneumonia linked to a novel coronavirus. AIMS: To review the sputum cytology of 15 patients who fulfilled the World Health Organisation clinical criteria for SARS in an attempt to evaluate whether early diagnosis is feasible with routine sputum examination. METHODS: All sputum samples from patients with SARS from the four major hospitals in Hong Kong were reviewed; abnormalities were sought in the cellular component, including abnormal numbers and morphology of the component cells compared with those from age matched controls taken over the same period one year ago. RESULTS: Fifteen sputum samples from patients were compared with 25 control samples. In the patients with SARS, loose aggregates of macrophages were seen more frequently in the sputum. These macrophages frequently showed morphological changes, such as cytoplasmic foaminess, vacuole formation, and nuclear changes (including multinucleation and a ground glass appearance) when compared with the control samples. CONCLUSIONS: The cytological features of SARS are non-specific, but the observation of any of the described features should prompt further investigations, especially in patients with suspicious clinical features.
BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a newly described form of atypical pneumonia linked to a novel coronavirus. AIMS: To review the sputum cytology of 15 patients who fulfilled the World Health Organisation clinical criteria for SARS in an attempt to evaluate whether early diagnosis is feasible with routine sputum examination. METHODS: All sputum samples from patients with SARS from the four major hospitals in Hong Kong were reviewed; abnormalities were sought in the cellular component, including abnormal numbers and morphology of the component cells compared with those from age matched controls taken over the same period one year ago. RESULTS: Fifteen sputum samples from patients were compared with 25 control samples. In the patients with SARS, loose aggregates of macrophages were seen more frequently in the sputum. These macrophages frequently showed morphological changes, such as cytoplasmic foaminess, vacuole formation, and nuclear changes (including multinucleation and a ground glass appearance) when compared with the control samples. CONCLUSIONS: The cytological features of SARS are non-specific, but the observation of any of the described features should prompt further investigations, especially in patients with suspicious clinical features.
Authors: Christian Drosten; Stephan Günther; Wolfgang Preiser; Sylvie van der Werf; Hans-Reinhard Brodt; Stephan Becker; Holger Rabenau; Marcus Panning; Larissa Kolesnikova; Ron A M Fouchier; Annemarie Berger; Ana-Maria Burguière; Jindrich Cinatl; Markus Eickmann; Nicolas Escriou; Klaus Grywna; Stefanie Kramme; Jean-Claude Manuguerra; Stefanie Müller; Volker Rickerts; Martin Stürmer; Simon Vieth; Hans-Dieter Klenk; Albert D M E Osterhaus; Herbert Schmitz; Hans Wilhelm Doerr Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2003-04-10 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: Nelson Lee; David Hui; Alan Wu; Paul Chan; Peter Cameron; Gavin M Joynt; Anil Ahuja; Man Yee Yung; C B Leung; K F To; S F Lui; C C Szeto; Sydney Chung; Joseph J Y Sung Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2003-04-07 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: Susan M Poutanen; Donald E Low; Bonnie Henry; Sandy Finkelstein; David Rose; Karen Green; Raymond Tellier; Ryan Draker; Dena Adachi; Melissa Ayers; Adrienne K Chan; Danuta M Skowronski; Irving Salit; Andrew E Simor; Arthur S Slutsky; Patrick W Doyle; Mel Krajden; Martin Petric; Robert C Brunham; Allison J McGeer Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2003-03-31 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: Thomas G Ksiazek; Dean Erdman; Cynthia S Goldsmith; Sherif R Zaki; Teresa Peret; Shannon Emery; Suxiang Tong; Carlo Urbani; James A Comer; Wilina Lim; Pierre E Rollin; Scott F Dowell; Ai-Ee Ling; Charles D Humphrey; Wun-Ju Shieh; Jeannette Guarner; Christopher D Paddock; Paul Rota; Barry Fields; Joseph DeRisi; Jyh-Yuan Yang; Nancy Cox; James M Hughes; James W LeDuc; William J Bellini; Larry J Anderson Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2003-04-10 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: J S M Peiris; S T Lai; L L M Poon; Y Guan; L Y C Yam; W Lim; J Nicholls; W K S Yee; W W Yan; M T Cheung; V C C Cheng; K H Chan; D N C Tsang; R W H Yung; T K Ng; K Y Yuen Journal: Lancet Date: 2003-04-19 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: Teri J Franks; Pek Y Chong; Paul Chui; Jeffrey R Galvin; Raina M Lourens; Ann H Reid; Elena Selbs; Col Peter L McEvoy; Col Dennis L Hayden; Junya Fukuoka; Jeffery K Taubenberger; William D Travis Journal: Hum Pathol Date: 2003-08 Impact factor: 3.466
Authors: G M-K Tse; K-F To; P K-S Chan; A W I Lo; K-C Ng; A Wu; N Lee; H-C Wong; S-M Mak; K-F Chan; D S C Hui; J J-Y Sung; H-K Ng Journal: J Clin Pathol Date: 2004-03 Impact factor: 3.411