[Malignant lymphoma with epithelioid cells]

Authors studied a group of 6 cases of malignant lymphomas with epithelioid cells. Their additional common features were a variegated cell population, big admixture of T lymphocytes and rare elements reminding of Reed-Sternberg cells. The seventh case serving as a standard was Hodgkin's disease with a high content of epithelioid cells. According to phenotyping the group consisted of 3 peripheral T cell lymphomas of the type of angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy with dysproteinemia (AILD) and single cases of centroblastic ML, T-rich B-cell lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease. The latter diagnosis was settled after revision of a T-rich B-cell lymphoma. Some large cells were CD 20 and CD 30 positive. The classification was proved by autopsy. Authors tried to be more precise when classifying ML but they may be inapparent transitions among single types (e.g. between peripheral type of T cell lymphoma AILD type and AILD or between T-rich B-cell lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease with lymphocytic predominance). The patients were followed for a relatively short period. Four of them died in several months after diagnostic excision, two showed a conspicuous generalization at autopsy. The presence of epithelioid cells in ML may not be connected with a more moderate behaviour and better prognosis.