Ghon focus

A Ghon focus is a primary lesion usually subpleural, often in the mid to lower zones, caused by mycobacterium bacilli (tuberculosis) developed in the lung of a nonimmune host (usually a child). It is named for Anton Ghon (1866–1936), an Austrian pathologist.

It is a small area of granulomatous inflammation, only detectable by chest X-ray if it calcifies or grows substantially (see tuberculosis radiology).^[1] Typically these will heal, but in some cases, especially in immunosuppressed patients, it will progress to miliary tuberculosis (so named due to the granulomas resembling millet seeds on a chest X-ray).^[1]

The classical location for primary infection is surrounding the lobar fissures, either in the upper part of the lower lobe or lower part of the upper lobe.^[1]

If the Ghon focus also involves infection of adjacent lymphatics and hilar lymph nodes, it is known as the Ghon's complex or primary complex. When a Ghon's complex undergoes fibrosis and calcification it is called a Ranke complex.^[1]^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Kumar, Vinay; Abbas, Abul K.; Fausto, Nelson; & Mitchell, Richard N. (2007). Robbins Basic Pathology (8th ed.). Saunders Elsevier. pp. 516-522 ISBN 978-1-4160-2973-1
^ http://www.smbs.buffalo.edu/pth600/IMC-Path/y2case/y2ans10.htm

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[Robbins-1] Kumar, Vinay; Abbas, Abul K.; Fausto, Nelson; & Mitchell, Richard N. (2007). Robbins Basic Pathology (8th ed.). Saunders Elsevier. pp. 516-522 ISBN 978-1-4160-2973-1

[2] ttp://www.smbs.buffalo.edu/pth600/IMC-Path/y2case/y2ans10.htm

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