HIV-associated oral pleomorphic B-cell malignant lymphoma.

A 48-year-old HIV-seropositive homosexual patient presented with an ulcerative lesion in the left side of the soft palate, extensively involving local soft tissue structures. On histologic evaluation the lesions appeared to be a large-cell high-grade B-cell pleomorphic lymphoma with anaplastic and plasmacytoid features harboring Epstein-Barr virus genome in the tumor cells. Although known to be associated with HIV infection, this is a rare subtype of a malignant lymphoma arising in a patient positive for HIV. Its meaning is yet unknown in biologic and prognostic terms.