CASE REPORT article
Front. Med.
Sec. Infectious Diseases: Pathogenesis and Therapy
This article is part of the Research TopicExploring Clinical Application Scenarios of Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing for Pathogen DiagnosisView all 32 articles
Broad-Range Polymerase Chain Reaction on a Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tissue is a Powerful Diagnostic Tool but Requires Cautious Interpretation
Provisionally accepted
- The Pennsylvania State University (PSU), University Park, United States
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A woman in her mid 50s with Lynch syndrome and a history of malignant neoplasms was found to have a superior vena cava (SVC) thrombus and a necrotic mediastinal mass on surveillance imaging. The initial biopsy yielded necrotic debris, and the procedure was complicated by mediastinal hematoma. Out of concern for a possible infection, the patient was empirically treated with antibiotics while planning further workup. Broad-range 16S polymerase chain reaction (BRPCR) on a formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue was added which was negative for fungi and mycobacteria but reported DNA of normal oral flora. Subsequently, she developed SVC syndrome, and concern was raised about a mediastinal abscess. A repeated biopsy confirmed the suspected carcinoma with necrosis. This case underscores the importance of proper interpretation of BRPCR in FFPE (non-sterile) tissue and emphasizes the need to use the results in the appropriate clinical context.
Keywords: Broad-range polymerase chain reaction, Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue, Mediastinal mass or neoplasm, Molecular diagnostics, Necrotic tissue
Received: 31 Oct 2025; Accepted: 26 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Ssentongo, Crook and Hussein. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Paddy Ssentongo
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