Cytodiagnosis of Extraoral Plasmablastic Lymphoma in an HIV-positive Paediatric Patient- A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Plasmablastic Lymphoma (PBL) is a rare and aggressive form of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL), initially described in the oral cavity of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) positive individuals. Recently, it has been described in HIV negative patients and at several extraoral locations. It shows heterogeneous cytological findings but has a distinct immunophenotype. Knowledge of the cytomorphologic spectrum of PBL and detection of plasma cell markers by ancillary techniques help in achieving the correct diagnosis. Here, we present a 15-year-old HIV positive boy who presented with left periorbital, left chest wall and perianal swellings. A diagnosis of PBL was offered on Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) in conjunction with immunocytochemistry and was confirmed on histopathology with immunohistochemistry.

Keywords

• cytology
• fine needle aspiration
• human immunodeficiency virus
• non-hodgkin lymphoma