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Pseudolymphoma in renal allograft recipients
Archives of Surgery (Chicago, Ill. : 1960)
|April 1, 1978
Summary
Renal transplant patients can develop giant lymphadenopathy, which may appear malignant but is benign. This condition, linked to antithymocyte globulin therapy, resolves without residual disease.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Immunology
- Oncology
Background:
- Renal transplant recipients are susceptible to lymphoproliferative disorders.
- Giant systemic lymphadenopathy post-transplant can mimic malignant lymphoma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cause and clinical course of giant systemic lymphadenopathy in renal transplant recipients.
- To differentiate this condition from malignant lymphoma.
Main Methods:
- Case series of five renal transplant recipients with lymphadenopathy.
- Biopsy analysis, immunosuppression monitoring, and T cell lymphocyte counts.
- Toxoplasmosis titers and viral cultures were assessed.
Main Results:
- Lymphadenopathy resolved spontaneously in all five patients within 6-15 months.
- Biopsies showed no evidence of malignancy, and patients had no residual disease.
- T cell lymphocyte counts rebounded significantly following antithymocyte globulin (ATG) administration.
Conclusions:
- Giant systemic lymphadenopathy in renal transplant recipients treated with ATG may represent a benign lymphoblastic rebound phenomenon.
- This condition has a favorable prognosis, unlike malignant lymphoma in transplant patients.
- Further research into ATG-induced immune responses is warranted.