An unusual large abdominal malakoplakia following trauma: Diagnosed on FNAC

Surbhi Goyal1, Asmita Parihar, Vandana Puri

  • 1Department of Pathology, University College of Medical Sciences & GTB Hospital, Delhi, India.

Diagnostic Cytopathology
|February 20, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Malakoplakia, a rare inflammatory disease, can affect the abdomen. Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) aids in diagnosing this condition by identifying characteristic Michaelis-Gutman bodies.

Area of Science:

  • Pathology
  • Oncology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Malakoplakia is a rare chronic granulomatous inflammatory disease.
  • It is associated with immune deficiency and impaired macrophage function.
  • Commonly affects the urinary tract and gastrointestinal tract.

Observation:

  • An unusual case of abdominal malakoplakia is presented.
  • The patient was an 18-year-old male with a large, aggressive abdominal mass.
  • The mass involved multiple bowel loops following blunt abdominal trauma.

Findings:

  • Preoperative diagnosis was achieved using ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC).
  • Diagnostic feature: calcified laminated intracytoplasmic Michaelis-Gutman bodies in histiocytes.
  • FNAC smears reliably demonstrated these pathognomonic bodies.

Implications:

  • Early diagnosis of abdominal malakoplakia is possible with FNAC.
  • Identification of Michaelis-Gutman bodies guides appropriate medical management.
  • This case highlights an unusual presentation of malakoplakia in the abdomen.