Ghon focus

Ghon focus

A Ghon focus is a primary lesion caused by mycobacterium bacilli (tuberculosis) developed in the lung of a previously uninfected individual. 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) 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] . Typically these will heal, but in some cases, especially in immunosuppressed patients, it will progress to miliary tuberculosis (so named due to the calcified granulomas resembling millet seeds on a chest X-ray).

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.

If the Ghon focus also involves infection of surrounding lymph nodes, it is known as the Ghon's complex or primary complex [http://www.smbs.buffalo.edu/pth600/IMC-Path/y2case/y2ans10.htm] .

References


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  • Ghon focus — the primary parenchymal lesion of primary pulmonary tuberculosis; when associated with a corresponding lymph node focus, it is known as the primary or Ghon complex. Called also Ghon primary lesion and Ghon tubercle. Ghon focus (arrow) in… …   Medical dictionary

  • ghon focus — noun see ghon tubercle …   Useful english dictionary

  • Ghon primary lesion — Ghon focus …   Medical dictionary

  • Ghon's complex — Ghon s complex, sometimes called Ranke s complex is a lesion seen in the lung that is caused by tuberculosis. The two alternative names come from the scientists Karl Ernst Ranke, or Anton Ghon, respectively. [… …   Wikipedia

  • Ghon's focus — the lesion produced in the lung of a previously uninfected person by tubercle bacilli. It is a small focus of granulomatous inflammation, which may become visible on a chest X ray if it grows large enough or if it calcifies. A Ghon focus usually… …   Medical dictionary

  • Ghon's focus — the lesion produced in the lung of a previously uninfected person by tubercle bacilli. It is a small focus of granulomatous inflammation, which may become visible on a chest X ray if it grows large enough or if it calcifies. A Ghon focus usually… …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • ghon tubercle — ˈgän noun also ghon focus Usage: usually capitalized G Etymology: after Anton Ghon died 1936 Czechoslovakian pathologist : the primary tubercle occurring in the lung of a child as the initial lesion of tuberculous infection and appearing as a… …   Useful english dictionary

  • focus — 1. (F) The point at which the light rays meet after passing through a convex lens. 2. The center, or the starting point, of a disease process. [L. a hearth] conjugate foci two points so related to a lens or …   Medical dictionary

  • Ghon complex focus (primary lesion tubercle) — (gon) [Anton Ghon, Austrian born pathologist in Czechoslovakia, 1866–1936] see primary complex, and see under focus …   Medical dictionary

  • Ghon complex — (gon) The initial focus of parenchymal infection in primary pulmonary tuberculosis …   Dictionary of microbiology

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