Nodular amyloidoma and primary pulmonary lymphoma with amyloid production: a differential diagnostic problem

Nodular amyloidomas (NA) of the lung are non-neoplastic inflammatory nodules containing eosinophilic amyloid deposits and a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate. In some instances, the extensive amyloid deposits may obscure an underlying lymphoproliferative disorder. The histologic and immunohistologic features that discriminate these two differential diagnostic possibilities were studied in this series of six cases of NA and five cases of primary low-grade malignant lymphomas of lung with secondary amyloid deposits (ML). Two of lymphoma cases showed histopathologic and immunophenotypic features of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (B-cell CLL/SLL), and three cases were low-grade B-cell lymphoma derived from mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphoma). Key discriminating morphologic features between NA and ML included lymphatic tracking of the cellular infiltrate (3/5 ML; 1/6 NA), pleural infiltration (3/5 ML; 0/6 NA), sheet-like masses of plasma cells (5/5 ML; 0/6 NA) and reactive follicles (4/5 ML; 1/6 NA). Lesional circumscription, vascular and bronchial destruction, lymphoepithelial lesions, and granulomas were not helpful discriminators. Immunohistochemical features indicating a dominant CD20+, CD79a+ B-cell population (5/5 ML; 0/6 NA), light chain restriction (4/5 ML; 0/6 NA), and aberrant antigen expression of CD20/CD43 (2/5 ML; 0/6 NA) were helpful. Amyloid tumors with a reactive lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate can be separated from low-grade malignant lymphomas utilizing both histologic and immunohistochemical features.