Lymphomatoid granulomatosis of the lung: report of a case and gene rearrangement studies

Abstract

Lymphomatoid granulomatosis is an uncommon but well-described entity which is currently thought to represent either a variant of malignant lymphoma from its outset or a benign yet prelymphomatous lesion. We recently studied such a case in a 70-year-old man who presented with bilateral pulmonary nodules on chest x-ray. Open lung biopsy and wedge resection revealed the typical histologic changes of lymphomatoid granulomatosis and immunohistochemical studies demonstrated a T cell proliferation. Genetic analysis of frozen tissue by Southern blot DNA hybridization showed no evidence of rearrangements of either the T cell receptor or immunoglobulin genes. This supports the notion that at least some cases of lymphomatoid granulomatosis may be part of a spectrum of premalignant lymphoproliferative disease rather than being frank malignant lymphoma from their outset.