Surgical pathology of HIV associated lymphoproliferations

The surgical pathologist is confronted with a variety of lymphoproliferative states in the setting of HIV disease. Classifying lymphomas, differentiating benign and malignant disease, accurate staging and identifying non-neoplastic lymphadenopathies still rely on histological evaluation as the mainstay of diagnosis. Immunophenotypic and molecular analysis have offered considerable insight into the pathology of HIV associated lymphoproliferations but must be used with caution as diagnostic tools in HIV disease.