ABSTRACT
Depending on the site of the body, affected specimens can be obtained and diagnosis made from: • sputum; • bronchial aspirates via bronchoalveolar lavage (bronchoscopy); • induced sputum; • gastric washings and laryngeal swabs (of historical interest only); • lymph node aspirate; • lymph node biopsies; • bone marrow aspirate; • liver biopsy; • pleural biopsy or pleural fluid; • cerebrospinal fluid; • histological examination and culture of other excised specimens. The typical appearance of tuberculosis is that of caseating granulomata containing epithelioid giant cells. There are other causes of granulomata, but caseation and identification and staining of acid fast bacilli on the sample is confirmatory of tuberculosis.
