Lymph node lesion in infectious mononucleosis showing geographic necrosis containing cytologically atypically...

Lymph node lesions in infectious mononucleosis (IM) show a marked histological diversity and may occasionally be confused with malignant lymphoma. We report on a rare case of IM showing geographic lymph node necrosis as well as angiocentric lymphoproliferative lesions, and containing numerous centroblasts, immunoblasts and Reed-Sternberg (RS)-like cells. The patient was a 40-year-old Japanese man with signs and symptoms of classical IM. This was later confirmed serologically, but the necrotic area comprised 50% of a cervical lymph node. The large lymphoid cells, including RS-like cells, were CD3-, CD5-, CD15-, CD20+, CD30+, CD45RO-, CD79a+, LMPI+, and EBNA2+. In situ hybridization study also disclosed that these cells were associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The patient was disease free during a follow-up of 15 years. Although the classical IM syndrome rarely shows a close resemblance to lymphomatoid granulomatosis of the lymph node or to EBV+ B- cell lymphoproliferative disorders associated with an immunodeficient state on histology, it is important for pathologists to be aware of this type of lesion in diagnostic practice.