Giant lamellar bodies in pulmonary MALT lymphoma. A case report

Giant lamellar bodies are laminated, scroll-like whorls seen within alveolar spaces and have been occasionally observed in sclerosing hemangioma of the lung. However, to the best of our knowledge, the cytologic findings of giant lamellar bodies have not been reported. We describe cytologic findings of giant lamellar bodies associated with pulmonary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma.

A 72-year-old male had a pulmonary mass measuring 2.0 x 1.4 x 1.5 cm. Cytologic smears imprinted from a cut surface of the resected mass revealed a large number of concentrically laminated structures, giant lamellar bodies, measuring 15-40 microns in diameter. Necrotic cellular remnants were occasionally observed in the center of the structures. In the background, small to medium-sized lymphoid cells and plasmacytoid cells were observed. Histologic diagnosis of the tumor was IgG, kappa type, MALT lymphoma. An aggregate of giant lamellar bodies was observed within entrapped, dilated alveolar spaces lined with hypertrophied, type II pneumocytes. Immunohistochemically, the giant lamellar bodies were positive for KL-6.

Giant lamellar bodies may be derived from surfactant and necrotic type II pneumocytes and may be observed cytologically in cases of pulmonary MALT lymphoma.