Abdominal tuberculosis. Diagnosis by fine needle aspiration cytology.

One hundred five cases of tuberculosis of the abdomen (excluding genitourinary involvement) diagnosed initially by fine needle aspiration cytology between 1988 and 1991 were analyzed retrospectively. The diagnosis of tuberculosis was suspected clinically in 60% of the cases prior to aspiration. The anatomic locations of the lesions were ileocecal in 69 cases, lymph node in 18, colon in 10, jejunoileal in 2, duodenojejunal in 1, peritoneal in 1 and liver in 4. Cytomorphologic analysis of the aspirates from these 105 cases showed only necrotic material in 19 cases, necrotic material with epithelioid granuloma in 36 cases and epithelioid granuloma without necrosis in 50 cases. Ziehl-Neelsen staining for acid-fast bacilli was positive in 47 of 105 cases (45%). Cultures for mycobacteria were positive in 5 of 24 cases. Histologic confirmation was available in five cases only. The cytodiagnosis correlated well with the radiologic findings and response to antituberculosis chemotherapy.