Reactive lymph node hyperplasia with giant follicles.
Twenty-two cases are presented of patients whose solitary painless, enlarged lymph nodes demonstrated an extreme degree of reactive hyperplasia with giant follicles which were misdiagnosed as lymphoma in 11 (50%) instances. Parotid or submandibular nodes were involved most frequently, and the mass was thought clinically to be a salivary gland tumor in at least one-third of the cases. Occurrence in men predominated (6.3:1) with a median age of 24.5 years (mean, 26.8 years). There were no recurrences during follow-up periods which ranged from 6 months to 15 years. No specific etiologic factors were identified. Microscopically, the enlarged giant follicles involved the entire surface area of the lymph node, frequently assuming a serpentine configuration resulting from coalescence. The description of findings in these exemplary cases is followed by discussion of the histologic differential diagnosis.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006644:Histiocytes / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged