[Clinical paper. Angio-immunoblastic lymphadenopathy. Significance and therapeutic discussion (author's transl)]

Angio-immunoblastic lymphadenopathy is a recently demarcated clinico-anatomical entity. A new case underlines the importance of this lesion in E.N.T. The lesion often progresses like a neoplasm, even though the clinical, biochemical and histological features make one consider it today to be an expression of an immune disorder. Nevertheless, the relationship with malignant lymphoma is discussed and the histological arguments which show an association or an evolution towards malignancy are exposed. The difficulties of treatment are particularly underlined on the basis of this ambivalence; and especially on the basis of the dilemma posed by the necessity for an effective therapy, justified by the invasive and extensive nature of the lesion, and the risks represented by the use of chemotherapy in a patient whose immunity is already disturbed. A statistical analysis of the therapeutic results, from data collected from the literature, illustrates this difficulty but does not allow a universally acceptable attitude to be defined.