This week's interesting case was donated by Dr. Hugh Mortan and Jodie Smith. They noted the following object in a Gram-stained bronchial lavage specimen. What is your diagnosis?
I believe that I found the answer. The pictures were puzzling to me, yet I searched the Internet for anything resembling the object, I believe they are Curschmann’s mucus coils, they’re found in BAL fluids of patients suffering from asthma, smokers producing abundance of mucus. Florida Fan
Yes is Curshmann's spiral - many a microscopist has gone down rabbit holes trying to figure out what these things are. Probably a microbiology tech found this and asked a pathologist what it was so the only question remaining is did the MD know the answer or have to share around to finally figure out?
Actually when I was practicing, I used to say to my coworkers:”No head, no tail, no entrails, most likely no parasite”. This could be applicable to this case. Florida Fan
I believe that I found the answer. The pictures were puzzling to me, yet I searched the Internet for anything resembling the object, I believe they are Curschmann’s mucus coils, they’re found in BAL fluids of patients suffering from asthma, smokers producing abundance of mucus.
ReplyDeleteFlorida Fan
Not a “parasite” I recognize…?
ReplyDeleteYes is Curshmann's spiral - many a microscopist has gone down rabbit holes trying to figure out what these things are. Probably a microbiology tech found this and asked a pathologist what it was so the only question remaining is did the MD know the answer or have to share around to finally figure out?
ReplyDeleteMucus cast? Not a parasite anyway.
ReplyDelete/Patrik
Actually when I was practicing, I used to say to my coworkers:”No head, no tail, no entrails, most likely no parasite”. This could be applicable to this case.
ReplyDeleteFlorida Fan