Carbon-laden macrophages in pleural fluid of crack smokers.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1996. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Carbon-laden macrophages in pleural fluid of crack smokers.

Diagn Cytopathol. 1995 Nov;13(4):316-9. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96167529
Singh B; Greenebaum E; Cole R; Department of Pathology, College of Physicians and Surgeons of; Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.

Abstract: Carbon-laden macrophages in bronchoalveolar lavage have been noted to be associated with a history of crack smoking. We report herein the finding of carbon-laden macrophages in four cytological preparations of pleural fluid from two crack smokers. The etiology of the two patients' pleural effusions differed; neither had a bronchopleural fistula. Patient 1 had AIDS, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, and Kaposi's sarcoma of the right lung with an associated bilateral pleural effusion. Patient 2 was HIV seropositive, had pulmonary tuberculosis, hepatitis A, B, and C, cardiomyopathy, pulmonary embolism, and bilateral pleural effusions, the latter of which were probably due to cardio-pulmonary dysfunction. An additional two crack smokers with pleural effusions due to malignancy, one primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma and the other metastatic melanoma, did not have carbon-like material in their pleural fluid cytology. We hypothesize that intracellular accumulation of carbonaceous material in the lung parenchyma and pleural space occurs when normal clearance mechanisms are overwhelmed.

Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/COMPLICATIONS Adult Carbon/*ANALYSIS Case Report Crack Cocaine/ADMINISTRATION & DOSAGE/*ADVERSE EFFECTS Hepatitis A/COMPLICATIONS Hepatitis B/COMPLICATIONS Hepatitis C/COMPLICATIONS Human HIV Seropositivity/COMPLICATIONS Lung Neoplasms/COMPLICATIONS Macrophages/*CHEMISTRY Male Middle Age Myocardial Diseases/COMPLICATIONS Pleural Effusion/ETIOLOGY/*PATHOLOGY Pneumonia, Pneumocystis carinii/COMPLICATIONS Sarcoma, Kaposi's/COMPLICATIONS Smoking Tuberculosis/COMPLICATIONS JOURNAL ARTICLE
960730
M9670508

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