Introduction Plasmablastic lymphoma is a rare entity that was first described in the jaws and the oral cavity of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Plasmablastic lymphoma is considered as a diffuse, large, B-cell lymphoma with a unique phenotype and a predilection for the oral cavity.
Objective The authors describe a case of an aggressive plasmablastic lymphoma of the oral cavity as the primary manifestation of AIDS.
Resumed Report We report a case of plasmablastic lymphoma involving only the oral cavity as the first manifestation of AIDS. Diagnosis was confirmed by the oral lesion biopsy and the histopathologic examination that showed a dense infiltrate composed of atypical lymphocytes with numerous plasmocytes that expressed the plasma cell markers MUM-1 and CD138 and that were negative for the B-cell markers CD3, CD20, and CD45. Immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization revealed the Epstein-Barr virus genome in the atypical cells. Polymerase chain reaction was also positive for human herpesvirus-8 RNA.
Conclusion The HIV serologic status should be evaluated in all patients with plasmablastic lymphoma of the oral cavity or extraoral sites.
Patients with HIV/AIDS disease are at high risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) which is included as an AIDS-defining illness. Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) most frequently presents in the oral cavity and generally in patients with HIV infection. Extra-oral PBL is a rare tumor but with a similar capability to local invasion and rapid dissemination to extra-oral sites. Bone marrow necrosis (BMN) associated with high grade B cell lymphoproliferative disease is a rare condition that should be suspected in HIV-infected patients with unexplained fever and cytopenias. Here we describe the first case of BMN caused by a high grade NHL diagnosis as PBL in an AIDS patient.
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