# Cytomorphological patterns and clinical features of presumptive tubercular lymphadenitis patients and their comparison with bacteriological detection methods: a cross-sectional study

## TL;DR

This study compares cytomorphological features and clinical signs of lymph node tuberculosis with bacteriological tests to improve diagnosis accuracy.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific cytomorphological patterns that align well with bacteriological methods for diagnosing tubercular lymphadenitis.

## Key findings

- Cytomorphological patterns A, B, and C showed strong concordance with GeneXpert and MGIT culture results.
- Night sweats and alcohol intake were significantly associated with positive TBLN cases.
- FNAC detected 47.6% of TBLN cases with specific cytomorphological features.

## Abstract

Tuberculous lymphadenitis (TBLN) is an infection of the lymph node caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Histological diagnoses of presumptive patients are often accompanied by cytomorphological features. However, the sensitivities of these features are often precluded by the variable degrees of narrative similarities compared to other diagnostic modalities.

The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the cytomorphological and clinical features of presumptive TBLN patients with bacteriological detection methods.

A similar cohort of TBLN patients from our previous study who were enrolled prospectively from the ALERT Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was considered for this analysis. SPSS version 26 was used for data analysis. Descriptive analysis was conducted to characterize the study population using the independent variable and presented with frequency tables. The chi-square test was used to measure the association. A P-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Using FNAC, 60/126 (47.6%) of the participants were reported to have features consistent with TB. Of the total FNAC-positive cases, many (30/60 and 27/60) showed pattern B (caseous necrosis only) and pattern C (epithelioid granuloma with caseous necrosis), respectively. Strong concordance was observed in Pattern A (abundant caseous necrosis with few epithelioid macrophages) followed by patterns B and C with GeneXpert and MGIT culture (P value < 0.001). Night sweats and alcohol intake were shown to correlate with positive cases as reported by FNAC (P value = 0.008 respectively), GeneXpert (P value = 0.02 & 0.001), and culture methods (P-value = < 0.001 & 0.002).

Cytomorphological features, particularly patterns A, B, and C, could be considered in the diagnosis of TBLN given their comparable outcomes with bacteriological detection methods. On another note, we recommend that due care and attention be given when treating TBLN patients based solely on clinical presentation, as these diagnostics may be prone to false results, leading to inappropriate administration of anti-TB drugs and other consequences.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12879-024-09587-4.