Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Thorax logoLink to Thorax
. 1994 Jun;49(6):590–593. doi: 10.1136/thx.49.6.590

Non-specific fluorescent whitener stains in the rapid recognition of pulmonary dirofilariasis: a report of 20 cases.

L K Green 1, M Q Ansari 1, M R Schwartz 1, J Y Ro 1, L C Alpert 1
PMCID: PMC474954  PMID: 7517073

Abstract

BACKGROUND--Solitary lung nodules in humans caused by the dog parasite Dirofilaria immitis are steadily increasing in number. The organisms can be easily missed in haematoxylin and eosin stained tissue when they are degenerated and pale staining. METHODS--The value of Tinopal CBS-X (TCBS-X) and Calcofluor white (CFW), two rapid, inexpensive, simple non-specific fluorescent whitening stains, were assessed in the identification of these worms. Deparaffinised rehydrated tissue slides prepared from the pulmonary nodules were stained for one minute in 1% w/v aqueous solutions of TCBS-X or CFW, counterstained, coverslipped, and viewed with a fluorescent microscope. RESULTS--The stains demonstrated the intact worm and worm fragments in 20 cases of pulmonary dirofilariasis collected from hospitals in Houston. The filariae and fragments of filariae stained bright green while the background tissue stained red, delineating the internal structures of the worm. CONCLUSIONS--Dirofilariasis should be included in the differential diagnosis of subpleural masses, and non-specific fluorescent whitening stains can help in the rapid recognition of the fragmented organism in cytological or surgical material.

Full text

PDF
590

Images in this article

591Image
on p.591
591Image
on p.591

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Adkins R. B., Jr, Dao A. H. Pulmonary dirofilariasis: a diagnostic challenge. South Med J. 1984 Mar;77(3):372–374. doi: 10.1097/00007611-198403000-00026. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Caravelli J. F., Zaman M. B., Bains M. S. Human pulmonary dirofilariasis mimicking metastatic disease. Clin Bull. 1981;11(2):88–90. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Chesney T. M., Martinez L. C., Painter M. W. Human pulmonary dirofilarial granuloma. Ann Thorac Surg. 1983 Aug;36(2):214–217. doi: 10.1016/s0003-4975(10)60460-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Ciferri F. Human pulmonary dirofilariasis in the United States: a critical review. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1982 Mar;31(2):302–308. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1982.31.302. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Ciferri F. Human pulmonary dirofilariasis in the West. West J Med. 1981 Feb;134(2):158–162. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cook G. C. Canine-associated zoonoses: an unacceptable hazard to human health. Q J Med. 1989 Jan;70(261):5–26. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dayal Y., Neafie R. C. Human pulmonary dirofilariasis. A case report and review of the literature. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1975 Sep;112(3):437–443. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1975.112.3.437. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Feld H. Dirofilaria immitis (dog heartworm) as a cause of a pulmonary lesion in man. Radiology. 1973 Aug;108(2):311–312. doi: 10.1148/108.2.311. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Gershwin L. J., Gershwin M. E., Kritzman J. Human pulmonary dirofilariasis. Chest. 1974 Jul;66(1):92–96. doi: 10.1378/chest.66.1.92. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Green L. K., Cowan D. F., Moore D. G. Examination of tissue for parasites by fluorescent microscopy. Histopathology. 1988 May;12(5):553–555. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2559.1988.tb01977.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Gutierrez Y. Diagnostic features of zoonotic filariae in tissue sections. Hum Pathol. 1984 Jun;15(6):514–525. doi: 10.1016/s0046-8177(84)80004-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. HARRISON E. G., Jr, THOMPSON J. H., Jr DIROFILARIASIS OF HUMAN LUNG. Am J Clin Pathol. 1965 Mar;43:224–234. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/43.3.224. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hawkins A. G., Hsiu J. G., Smith R. M., 3rd, Stitik F. P., Siddiky M. A., Edwards O. E. Pulmonary dirofilariasis diagnosed by fine needle aspiration biopsy. A case report. Acta Cytol. 1985 Jan-Feb;29(1):19–22. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hoch W. S., Wershba M. E., Patchefsky A. S. Pulmonary dirofilariasis. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1974 Jan;67(1):159–163. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Jagusch M. F., Roberts R. M., Rea H. H., Priestley D. R. Human pulmonary dirofilariasis. N Z Med J. 1984 Aug 22;97(762):556–558. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Kelly W. T., Firouz-Abadi A. A., Roszkowski A., Zimmerman P. V. Pulmonary dirofilariasis diagnosed by computerised tomography scan controlled percutaneous needle aspiration. Aust N Z J Med. 1985 Oct;15(5):656–657. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Kochar A. S. Human pulmonary dirofilariasis. Report of three cases and brief review of the literature. Am J Clin Pathol. 1985 Jul;84(1):19–23. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/84.1.19. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Levine S. E., Mossler J. A., Woodard B. H. Dirofilaria immitis: a zoonosis of clinical concern. South Med J. 1980 Jun;73(6):749–750. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Levinson E. D., Ziter F. M., Jr, Westcott J. L. Pulmonary lesions due to Dirofilaria immitis (dog heartworm). Report of four cases with radiologic findings. Radiology. 1979 May;131(2):305–307. doi: 10.1148/131.2.305. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Lewis J. F., Williams R. W., Tinsley E. A. Pulmonary "coin" lesion due to Dirofilaria immitis. Arch Surg. 1969 Mar;98(3):388–390. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1969.01340090164035. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Merrill J. R., Otis J., Logan W. D., Jr, Davis M. B. The dog heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) in man. An epidemic pending or in progress? JAMA. 1980 Mar 14;243(10):1066–1068. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Monheit J. E., Cowan D. F., Moore D. G. Rapid detection of fungi in tissues using calcofluor white and fluorescence microscopy. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 1984 Aug;108(8):616–618. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Monheit J. G., Brown G., Kott M. M., Schmidt W. A., Moore D. G. Calcofluor white detection of fungi in cytopathology. Am J Clin Pathol. 1986 Feb;85(2):222–225. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/85.2.222. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Navarrette A. R. Pulmonary dirofilariasis. Chest. 1972 Jan;61(1):51–55. doi: 10.1378/chest.61.1.51. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Neafie R. C., Piggott J. Human pulmonary dirofilariasis. Arch Pathol. 1971 Nov;92(5):342–349. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Prioleau W. H., Jr, Parker E. F., Bradham R. R., Gregorie H. B., Jr Dirofilaria immitis (dog heartworm) as a pulmonary lesion in humans. Ann Thorac Surg. 1976 May;21(5):382–385. doi: 10.1016/s0003-4975(10)63884-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Risher W. H., Crocker E. F., Jr, Beckman E. N., Blalock J. B., Ochsner J. L. Pulmonary dirofilariasis. The largest single-institution experience. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1989 Feb;97(2):303–308. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Ro J. Y., Tsakalakis P. J., White V. A., Luna M. A., Chang-Tung E. G., Green L., Cribbett L., Ayala A. G. Pulmonary dirofilariasis: the great imitator of primary or metastatic lung tumor. A clinicopathologic analysis of seven cases and a review of the literature. Hum Pathol. 1989 Jan;20(1):69–76. doi: 10.1016/0046-8177(89)90205-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Robinson N. B., Chavez C. M., Conn J. H. Pulmonary dirofilariasis in man. A case report and review of the literature. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1977 Sep;74(3):403–408. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Roussel F., Delaville A., Campos H., Benozio M., Brasseur P. Fine needle aspiration of retroperitoneal human dirofilariasis with a pseudotumoral presentation. Acta Cytol. 1990 Jul-Aug;34(4):533–535. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Tannehill A. W., Jr, Hatch H. B., Jr Coin lesions of the lung due to Dirofilaria immitis. Report of a case. Dis Chest. 1968 Mar;53(3):369–371. doi: 10.1378/chest.53.3.369. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Toomes H., Delphendahl A., Manke H. G., Vogt-Moykopf I. The coin lesion of the lung. A review of 955 resected coin lesions. Cancer. 1983 Feb 1;51(3):534–537. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19830201)51:3<534::aid-cncr2820510328>3.0.co;2-b. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Thorax are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES