Utility of Cytopathology in Diagnosing a Plethora of Fungal Infections

Background: Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a simple and reliable technique for diagnosing various inflammatory lesions. Some of these lesions are caused by fungal organisms, which are often missed clinically and thus remain untreated. Most of these infections require prompt diagnosis as they respond to early treatment, and delayed diagnosis may lead to unnecessary complications. Aim: To study the clinico-cytomorphological spectrum of fungal infections in a tertiary care center. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study and includes a total of 25 cases of various fungal infections diagnosed on FNAC over 5 years. Clinical details of these cases were retrieved from cytopathology records, and cytomorphological features were studied in detail. Results: All 25 cases were analyzed and included rhino-orbital cerebral mucormycosis (15), histoplasmosis (1), cryptococcosis (1), phaeohyphomycosis (1), and aspergillosis (1), along with six cases broadly classified as fungal abscesses. Conclusion: FNAC is an efficient and unswerving tool, helpful in diagnosing a plethora of fungal infections, especially in clinically unsuspected cases, and thereby facilitates early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.