No abstract

Sinus histocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy, also known as Rosai-Dorfman Disease (RDD), is an idiopathic histiocytic proliferation affecting lymph nodes. Although extranodal involvement has been reported in diverse sites, central nervous system (CNS) manifestation, particularly in the absence of nodal disease is uncommon. We report 11 cases of RDD primary to the CNS without evidence of other sites of involvement. The cases included 7 males and 4 females ranging in age from 22 to 63 years (mean: 41 y). The patients presented with headaches, seizures, numbness, or paraplegia. Eight cases involved the cranial cavity and three cases, the spinal canal. Lesions were most often extra-axial and dura based. Only one presented in the CNS parenchyma. Histologically, the lesions consisted of variable numbers of pale-staining histocytes with emperipolesis often overshadowed by extensive lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates and fibrosis in the background. Special stains for organisms were negative. By immunohistochemical analysis, the characteristic histiocytes were positive for S100 protein and CD68 and negative for CD1a. Treatment consisted of surgical biopsy or excision. Follow-up, available for 10 cases with intervals ranging from 5 days to 42 months (mean: 15 mo), disclosed one patient dying of operative complications 5 days after biopsy and nine patients with no evidence of disease progression RDD should be considered in the differential diagnosis of inflammatory lesions of the CNS. Our study suggests that this entity may have been misdiagnosed in the past as plasma cell granuloma or inflammatory pseudotumor.

No abstract

Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma/immunocytoma (LLI) was defined initially as a small B-cell lymphoma with plasmacytoid or plasmacytic features. Because other types of small B-cell lymphoma, particularly marginal zone B-cell lymphoma may exhibit plasmacytic differentiation, the revised European-American lymphoma classification and World Health Organization has defined LLI more narrowly to exclude other small B-cell lymphomas. The goal of this study was to reevaluate LLI as a clinicopathologic entity. Twenty cases were selected from 43 previously diagnosed as "small lymphocytic lymphoma, plasmacytoid" or "immunocytoma" from 1985 to 1998. Cases fulfilling the criteria for B-cell small lymphocytic lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, marginal zone B-cell lymphoma, or other types of B-cell lymphoma were excluded. The histopathology and immunoreactivity for CD20, CD79a, CD3, CD43, CD23, CD5, kappa, lambda, and immunoglobulins (Ig's) M, G, and A were reviewed, in addition to available clinical findings. There were 13 men and seven women, with a mean age of 69 years. Five patients had documented Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM). Three architectural patterns were observed. Pattern A (seven of 20) showed open sinuses, small follicles, and hemosiderosis; pattern B (four of 20) showed hyperplastic follicles; and pattern C (nine of 20) showed diffuse effacement. Epithelioid histiocytes were prominent in patterns B and C but absent in A. Cytologically, six of 20 were polymorphous with 10% to 40% transformed cells; 14 of 20 were lymphoplasmacytic. Five cases showed minor foci of monocytoid B cells. One case showed a composite histology of LLI and small lymphocytic lymphoma. Amyloid was present in two cases. All cases were CD20 and/or CD79a immunoreactive, with two of 20 positive for CD43. Twelve cases were kappa monoclonal and eight cases were lambda monoclonal. Twelve of 17 cases that could be evaluated were positive for IgM and five were positive for IgG. All cases were negative for CD5 and CD23 with the exception of the one case with a composite histology. Eleven of 20 patients with available follow-up died of disease (median, 48 months), and eight of 20 are alive with disease at a follow-up of 6 months to 2 years. LLI does appear to represent a distinct clinicopathologic entity even though it shows morphologic heterogeneity and overlapping features with marginal zone B-cell lymphoma and small lymphocytic lymphoma. Recognition of LLI is important because the overall prognosis may be worse than for other types of small B-cell lymphomas.