Utility of fine needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of infective lesions

With migration of people, a lesion caused by an infectious agent may present anywhere in the globe, whether the disease is endemic or not to that particular geographical area. Many times the cytopathologist is the first expert to assess the lesion, whether an infectious aetiology is clinically suspected or not. One should have a fair knowledge of various cytomorphological presentations and light microscopic appearances of the microbes to give a valuable clue to the diagnosis. This review attempts at giving a working knowledge of different pathogenic microbes encountered in fine needle aspiration cytology.