Varied appearance of AIDS-related lymphoma in the chest.

Abstract

The authors reviewed all cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related lymphoma (ARL) seen at their institution between January 1982 and September 1988 to determine the frequency and appearance of ARL in the chest. Of 35 patients with ARL, 11 (31%) had biopsy-proved thoracic involvement. This frequency is significantly greater than that previously reported. The radiologic appearance of the thoracic involvement varied. Pleural effusion, interstitial and alveolar lung disease, nodules, and, infrequently, hilar and mediastinal adenopathy were observed. ARL of the chest was most commonly extranodal. Pleural effusion and lung disease were the two most common manifestations of ARL on chest radiographs and computed tomographic scans. The authors recommend that clinicians treating patients with suspected or known AIDS consider ARL when a pleural effusion or a noninfective interstitial or alveolar process is present.

The radiological spectrum of pulmonary lymphoproliferative disease

“…In two CT series of patients with ARL, the commonest finding was pleural effusion, and most patients also had multifocal parenchymal disease with nodules, interstitial infiltrates or air-space opacities with no particular predominant pattern [35,38]. The proportion of patients with ARL with thoracic lymphadenopathy varies in different CT series, ranging from 3% to 54% [33,35].…”

CT of AIDS-related lymphoma.

“…14), chest wall mass (Fig. 1 5) ARL [4]. This contrasts with mediastinal and hilar adenopathy as the most common thoracic findings in young nonimmunocompromised Iymphoma patients.…”

Pulmonary Malignancies in the Immunocompromised Patient

“…The incidence of intrathoracic manifestations of AIDS-related NHL ranges from 6–31% in clinical series [85, 86]. It is higher in necropsy series (4–70%), in which the lung may be the most common extranodal site [87].…”

“…Chest imaging usually shows pleural effusion, multiple nodules or masses, and lobar consolidations, whilst hilar and mediastinal adenopathies are infrequent [86]. The incidence of nodules, masses and consolidations found by CT ranges from 50 to 88%, 19 to 66% and 27 to 44%, respectively [81, 87, 95].…”