Cytological diagnosis of cysticercosis: Role of FNAC with On-Site evaluation

Abstract

Cysticercosis is a zoonotic disease, caused by the larval form of pork tapeworm Taenia solium. This disease is a public health problem in a country such as India, but its incidence is likely underestimated. With the advent of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) with rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE), early detection of this disease is possible, especially when the lesion is in anatomically approachable superficial locations. We report a case of cysticercosis confirmed by FNAC in the Department of Pathology where ROSE using toluidine blue was done as a part of routine cytology procedure. FNAC diagnosis of cysticercosis can be easily made provided the reporting cytologist is aware of the morphological criteria. Keywords: Rapid on-site evaluation, Toluidine blue, Fine needle aspiration cytology, Cysticercosis, Non-human parasite nuclei