Pseudo-Gaucher cells in mycobacterial infection: a report of two cases
- 1Division of Haematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 199 Tung Hwa North Road, Taipei 105, Taiwan
- 2Department of Pathology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
- 3School of Medicine, Chang Gung University
- Correspondence to: Dr P Dunn Division of Haematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 199 Tung Hwa North Road, Taipei 105, Taiwan; dunnpoadm.cgmh.org.tw
- Accepted 4 November 2004
Abstract
This report describes two cases of mycobacterial infection with pseudo-Gaucher cells. Both patients had no clinical evidence of inherited Gaucher disease. The first case was a patient with AIDS and Mycobacterium avium intracellulare involving the lung, spleen, and bone marrow. The bone marrow aspirates showed many histiocytes with needle-like inclusions. Acid fast staining showed that these histiocytes contained acid fast bacilli. Bone marrow biopsies revealed granulomatous lesions with aggregates of foamy histiocytes. The second case was an alcoholic patient with Mycobacteriumkanasassi infection involving the lung and lymph nodes. The lymph node aspirates showed infiltration of the same cells with acid fast bacilli in the cytoplasm.
- pseudo-Gaucher cells
- acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
- Mycobacterium avium intracellulare
- Mycobacterium kanasassi
- granulomatous lesions
