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Low‐grade B cell lymphoma of mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue in the thymus of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis
Author(s) -
Yokose Tomoyuki,
Kodama Tetsuro,
Matsuno Yoshlhlro,
Shimosato Yukio,
Nishimura Mitsuyo,
Mukal Kiyoshi
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
pathology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1827
pISSN - 1320-5463
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1827.1998.tb03832.x
Subject(s) - lymphoma , pathology , malt lymphoma , lymphatic system , rheumatoid arthritis , medicine , mucosa associated lymphoid tissue , bcl6 , b cell , cd20 , gene rearrangement , antibody , biology , germinal center , immunology , gene , biochemistry
The majority of thymlc lymphomas are either lymphoblastic lymphoma, large B cell lymphoma or Hodgkin's disease, and other types of non‐Hodgkin lymphoma are rare. A case of low‐grade B cell lymphoma of mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) In the thymus is reported. A 55‐year‐old Japanese female with a history of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) complained of back pain. A mediastinal tumor was identified by computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, and the thymus was resected through median sternotomy. The solid and nodular tumor had several small satellite extensions and was completely confined to within the thymus. Hlstologically, monotonous medium‐sized centrocyte‐like cells occupied the medulla of the thymus and Infiltrated Hassan's corpuscles (lymphoepithellal lesions). Immunohistochemically, tumor cells were positive for CD20 and CD79a. IgA and kappa light chain restriction were also found in plasmacytoid cells in the tumor. Clonal rearrangement of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene was demonstrated by polymerase chain reaction. This case was diagnosed as MALT‐type low‐grade B cell lymphoma In the thymus. This is the first report of low‐grade B cell lymphoma In the thymus associated with RA. As autoimmune diseases are known to be associated with lymphoid neoplasms, It is suggested that the RA played an Important role in the development of malignant lymphoma in this case.