Pneumocystis carinii in FNA of the thyroid

Abstract

We report the diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii (PC) in a fine-needle aspirate (FNA) from the thyroid of a human immunodeficiency virus infected (HIV+) male receiving aerosolized pentamidine as prophylaxis for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). The clinical diagnosis prior to FNA was multinodular goiter. The patient did not have pulmonary symptoms nor previous diagnosis of PCP at the time of the aspirate diagnosis. Recently, extrapulmonary Pneumocystis carinii (EPC) has been reported with increasing frequency in HIV+ patients receiving prophylactic aerosolized pentamidine. Awareness of extrapulmonary presentations of Pneumocystis carinii infection is a prerequisite for accurate cytologic diagnosis.