Cytological diagnosis of cervical tuberculosis in a woman with cervical growth

Abstract

Tuberculosis of the female genital tract is often difficult to diagnose owing to the variable and non‐specific clinical presentations in these patients. Cervical tuberculosis is rare and a proportion of these patients may present with cervical growth, which may clinically mimic cervical carcinoma. Cervical Papanicolaou smear examination is a non‐invasive and inexpensive test that can be used to establish a diagnosis of cervical TB in these patients.

Incidental detection of microsporidium spores on Ziehl–Neelson staining done on cervical pap smear

“…Granulomas on cervical pap smear cytology can be seen in various non-neoplastic and neoplastic conditions. Non-neoplastic or infections conditions associated with granulomatous inflammation include tuberculosis, [ 1 ] sarcoidosis, [ 2 ] granuloma inguinale, [ 3 ] or coccidioidomycosis [ 3 ] microsporidia mostly affect immunocompromised hosts. Spores infecting humans are 1–5 µm in length and 1 µm in width.…”