MICROFILARIAE IN CYTOLOGIC SMEARS - A REPORT OF 6 CASES

BACKGROUND: Filariasis is a major public health problem in tropical co untries, including India. Despite this high incidence, it is unusual t o find microfilariae in fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) smears and body fluids. Six cases of filariasis diagnosed by FNAC are reporte d. CASES: In case 1, a thyroid aspirate from a 23-year-old female show ed a microfilaria with colloid and thyroid follicular cells. In case 2 , pericardial fluid from a 50-year-old male with breathlessness and ch est pain showed clusters of malignant cells and many microfilariae. In case 3, a bronchial aspirate from a 55-year-old male with fever and c hest pain showed aggregates of acute inflammatory cells and a microfil aria. Cases 4 and 5 were lymph node aspirates from a 29-year-old male and 3-year-old female. Both smears showed microfilariae in a backgroun d of reactive lymphoid cells. In case 6, FNAC from a 21-year-old femal e with a cystic swelling in the breast showed clusters of microfilaria e, lymphocytes and granular debris. CONCLUSION: In three of the six ca ses microfilariae were the cause of symptoms, whereas in the other thr ee cases, microfilariae were associated with other diseases, including malignancy. Thus, careful screening of FNAC smears might be helpful i n detecting microfilariae, even in asymptomatic patients.