title: Secondary pleural involvement by an AIDS-related anaplastic large cell (CD30+) lymphoma simulating metastatic adenocarcinoma.
abstract: We report a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome with secondary pleural and pulmonary involvement by a CD30+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) that morphologically simulated metastatic adenocarcinoma. We describe the morphologic findings in order to heighten awareness that CD30+ ALCL may mimic metastatic adenocarcinoma in a body fluid or bronchial brushing and should be considered in the differential diagnosis. Primary body cavity based (PCBC) AIDS-related lymphoma is a relatively newly described disease entity with morphologic features bridging ALCL and large cell immunoblastic lymphoma with a CD30+ null immunophenotype. A morphology mimicking adenocarcinoma has not been previously described in this entity but should be considered in a patient with AIDS presenting exclusively with a serous effusion. Appropriate immunoperoxidase staining should aid in these differential diagnoses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, St. Louis University Health Sciences Center, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Dunphy
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Grosso
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D001706:Biopsy; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D019674:Genes, T-Cell Receptor beta / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D016483:Lymphoma, AIDS-Related / Q000473:pathology*; D017728:Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000473:pathology*; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm