title: Dermatopathic lymphadenitis. The spectrum and significance of its morphologic features.
abstract: The lymph nodes from 50 axillary node dissections were evaluated by light microscopy and immunohistochemistry for the presence of dermatopathic lymphadenitis-like histologic features. On the basis of hematoxylin-eosin-stained sections alone, a histologic continuum was observed ranging from minimal paracortical changes to fully developed dermatopathic lymphadenitis. Twenty-three lymph node biopsies previously interpreted as diagnostic of dermatopathic lymphadenitis were reviewed. Only nine of these showed the fully developed dermatopathic lymphadenitis. Only one of these patients had a dermatitis. Our conclusions are that the presence of dermatopathic lymphadenitis does not mean that the patient has concomitant skin disease, and that axillary lymph nodes from patients without skin disease manifest a spectrum of dermatopathic lymphadenitis-like histologic features. Dermatopathic lymphadenitis may represent one end of a normally occurring histologic spectrum that may be found in the absence of a dermatitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, FL.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gould
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Porto
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Albores-Saavedra
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ibe
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000473:pathology; D001365:Axilla; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008199:Lymphadenitis / Q000473:pathology*; D011537:Pruritus / Q000473:pathology*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000473:pathology