Histopathological features in the clinical specimens with tuberculosis diagnosis by BACTEC MGIT 960 culture

Diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis remains challenging in lower-middle income countries with high burden of tuberculosis (TB). This study aims to describe the histological characteristics in biopsy samples from patients with confirmed TB. This is a retrospective study of clinical biopsy specimens with positive liquid medium culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and histopathological examination in the National Lung Hospital in Vietnam. Among 1045 biopsy specimens with mycobacteria culture, the overall rate of growth of Mycobacteria tuberculosis in culture was 20.7% (216/1045). The positivity rates of MIGT culture among surgical biopsy specimens were 75% in bone specimen, followed by vertebral specimens (51.3%), and joint specimens (26.4%). For specimens obtained by the fine needle aspiration, the positivity rates of MIGT culture were 26.3% in lymph node and 25.3% in pleural specimen. Among specimens with culture confirmation of TB, the most common histopathoglogical suggestive finding of TB was the presence of epithelioid cell (83.3%), Langhans giant cells (75.9%), and caseous necrosis (75.5%). The high proportion of histological features suggestive of TB among the TB culture confirmed biopsy samples support for further evaluation of histological examination and its combination with other recommended rapid molecular assays in specimens with suspicion of TB.

Automated summary

This study retrospectively describes the histological characteristics in biopsy samples from the National Lung Hospital in Vietnam and finds a high proportion of features suggestive of tuberculosis. This supports the need for further evaluation of histological examination and its combination with other rapid molecular assays in suspected tuberculosis samples.