Clinical implication of dermatopathic lymphadenopathy among Japanese: a report of 19 cases

Int J Surg Pathol. 2004 Apr;12(2):127-32. doi: 10.1177/106689690401200205.

Abstract

To clarify the clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical features of dermatopathic lymphadenopathy not associated with mycosis fungoides among Japanese, 19 patients were studied. Seventy-four percent of the patients were more than 50 years old (median; 63 years, mean 61 years). Systemic symptoms such as fever were recorded in 68% and multicentric lymphadenopathy was noted in 83% of patients. An association of autoimmune disease or positivity of autoantibodies was recorded in 6 patients. Five patients showed cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions to a drug. Histologically, in addition to the dermatopathic lymphadenopathy, numerous immunoblasts were observed in 2 cases and sheet-like proliferation of mature plasma cells in 3 cases. Various atypical or malignant lymphoproliferative disorders exhibiting immunologic abnormalities such as angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma or autoimmune disease-associated lymphadenopathy frequently occur in middle-aged and elderly patients. At least some of the patients with dermatopathic lymphadenopathy should be clinicopathologically differentiated from these lymphoproliferative disorders.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Female
  • Fever / etiology
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Lymph Nodes / metabolism
  • Lymph Nodes / pathology
  • Lymphatic Diseases / complications
  • Lymphatic Diseases / immunology
  • Lymphatic Diseases / pathology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Skin Diseases / complications
  • Skin Diseases / immunology
  • Skin Diseases / pathology*