RESUMO
ABSTRACT: Micronodular thymoma (MNT) is a rare subtype of thymoma (reported incidence is approximately 1-5%). We report a case received as a core biopsy from the "right lung mass" of a 31-year-old female. CT scan showed an 8.1 cm large well-defined mass lesion in the right middle lobe, causing indentation and mild compression of the right atrium. Microscopically, the biopsy showed a thymic neoplasm comprised of multiple discrete and coalescing nodules of bland epithelioid tumor cells separated by an epithelial cell-free lymphocyte-rich stroma. On immunohistochemistry, cytokeratin highlighted the thymic epithelial cells. The lymphoid cells showed a naive T-cell phenotype (TdT+ CD 3+). It is worthwhile recognizing this rare variant of thymoma as almost all the patients present with localized low stage disease with rare/no reports of recurrences or distant metastases.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), also called human herpesvirus 4, is a virus of the herpes family. The EBV-associated lymphomas include Burkitt lymphoma, classic Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), lymphomas arising in immunocompromised individuals, peripheral T-cell lymphomas, angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, extranodal nasal-type natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, and other rare histotypes. OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluated the role of EBV as an etiologic agent in various lymphomas and determined an Indian perspective in a tertiary care cancer center compared to that of Western literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinicopathological spectrum was studied in 184 cases of lymphomas using a standard immunohistochemistry panel and in situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNA (EBER) expression. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of EBV was described in various HL and non-HL's and was found similar to that of Western literature. EBER expression was also observed in the nonneoplastic bystander cells in the studied cases which need further evaluation on larger scale studies.
