[Benign angiofollicular lymphoma of the eyelid (author's transl)]

The first case of benign angiofollicular lymphoma (Castleman) of the lower and upper eyelid is reported. The patient was a 79-year-old woman. The multifocal tumor was removed in two operations. The patient has since been free of complaints and the tumor has not recurred. This observation shows that Castleman's tumor must be included in the differential diagnosis of ophthalmologic benign and malignant lymphomas and pseudolymphomas. The diversity in nomenclature of this tumor expresses the varying pathogenetic and etiologic concepts. As in the present case, the majority of extrathoracal angiofollicular lymphomas of the hyaline-vascular type is obviously best interpreted as being hamartomas or choristomas. This does not exclude a poly-etiology, especially of the plasma cell type which is associated with general clinical symptoms.