Lymphoreticular disease masquerading as or associated with an inguinal or femoral hernia

Twelve patients (eight men and four women) had previously undiagnosed lymphoreticular disease associated with or simulating an inguinal (nine) or femoral (three) hernia. The disease was present on the left side in eight. Four patients (three women and one man) did not have an actual hernia. Two of these women had a preoperative diagnosis of femoral hernia. Seven of the patients, including all of the women, had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (three diffuse large cell, two follicular mixed cell and two follicular small cleaved cell) and one patient had lymphocytic predominance (nodular lymphocytic and histiocytic) Hodgkin's disease. No stage predominated. Inguinal lymph nodes from two patients showed, histologically, Kaposi's sarcoma and type I human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) associated disease. Each patient was homosexual and HIV seropositive. Changes suggestive of viral cause were present in the lymph node of one patient. The enlarged lymph nodes of the 12th patient showed stellate suppurative granulomas containing cat-scratch bacilli demonstrated by Warthin-Starry stain. Because of the special processing needs for lymphoreticular diseases and potential for misdiagnosis, surgeons, clinicians and pathologists should be aware of the spectrum of lymphoreticular processes occurring in lymph nodes associated with or masquerading as a hernia, particularly in women.