Background: Nocardia, a gram-positive aerobic bacillus of the Actinomycetales family, is a significant opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised individuals. Clinical and radiological features of pulmonary nocardiosis are nonspecific and can be misdiagnosed as tuberculosis, pneumocystis, staphylococcal or fungal infections, or as malignancy. Aspiration cytology with special stains is a quick and effective approach for accurate diagnosis. Materials and Methods: We present 7 cases of pulmonary nocardiosis, admitted to the pathology department in a tertiary-care hospital in Punjab. Clinical findings, immune status, laboratory tests, chest radiographs, and computed tomography scans were reviewed. Cytologically, special stains like 1% Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN), 20% ZN, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), Grocott methenamine silver (GMS), and reticulin stains were studied along with May-Grünwald Giemsa, Papanicolaou, and hematoxylin and eosin. Results: All the patients were immunocompromised. The radiological changes were nonspecific. Cytomorphology showed acute and chronic inflammatory infiltrates with necrosis. None of the cases showed well-defined granulomas. GMS, modified 1% ZN and, Gordon and Sweet reticulin stains highlighted the delicate filamentous bacteria in all cases. PAS and 20% ZN stain for tuberculous bacilli were uniformly negative. Conclusion: FNAC can provide a quick and accurate diagnosis of nocardiosis and thereby facilitate timely medical management.

Sarcina ventriculi is a rare gram-positive, anaerobic bacteria, associated with delayed gastric emptying. We report a case of a 45-year-old lady, who presented with features of gastric outlet obstruction, and coinfection of S. ventriculi and Candida was detected on examining gastric brushings and biopsy. S. ventriculi is identified by its peculiar configuration in the form of tetrads and octets. Coexistence of S. ventriculi with other organisms is highly unusual.

FIG 1. (A) Low-power view highlighting the mucopolysaccharide-rich stroma having cartilaginous appearance with signet ring-like cells and entrapped atrophic hepatocytes (hematoxylin and eosin stain 3100). Inset shows pleomorphic epithelioid cells forming papillary tufts. (B, C) Immunohistochemistry showing strong and diffuse positivity of (B) CD34 and (C) CD31 in the tumor cells.

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Melanotic neuroectodermal tumour of infancy is a rare, pigmented neoplasm generally arising in infants during the first year of life. The cytological features are rarely described in the literature. This case due to its rarity and unusual site emphasising the cytopathological features and the necessity of histology for differentiating it from other round cell tumours has been presented. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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