The clinical and histopathologic features of 2 examples of isolated lymphoid tumors (so‐called nodal hyperplasia, lymphoid, or angiomatous lymphoid hamartoma) occurring in an 11‐year‐old girl and a 42‐year‐old man are presented. This designation for this lesion appears at present more appropriate than those expressed parenthetically since considerations suggest that it may represent a heterogeneous group of neoplastic and nonneoplastic lesions comprised of prototype and transitional forms of lymphocytes, reticulum cells, and plasma cells. Occasional cells morphologically indistinguishable from Sternberg‐Reed cells were encountered in the most recent of 4 biopsies obtained over a 6‐year period in the young girl and in only several of many sections prepared from the tumor removed from the adult patient of this report. Other features of Hodgkin's disease or other recognized malignant lymphomas were lacking, and the clinical course in both has been otherwise uneventful for 6 and 1 years, respectively. Ultrastructural study of the lesion from the adult revealed features in some reticulum cells similar to those observed in cells comprising overt reticulum cell sarcoma. Virus‐like particles resembling those depicted as occurring in some murine as well as human leukemias and malignant lymphomas were also noted. Similar particles were also observed in cells comprising “primary” growths and metastases noted following heterotransplantation of aliquots of this lesion to the cheek pouch of unconditioned hamsters. This information strongly suggests that some of these lesions may possess a malignant biological potential, being in this regard analogous to the situation experienced with the nodal lesion apparently induced by antiepileptic drugs.
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