Infectious mononucleosis-related tonsillar hyperplasia mimicking T-cell lymphoma on histopathology: A rare case and review

Abstract

Infectious mononucleosis (IM) with histopathologic characteristics of T-cell lymphoma is uncommon. IM, caused by Epstein-Barr virus, is a self-limiting, benign lymphoproliferative disorder. Transferred through saliva, blood, and semen, it presents clinically in adolescents with fever, pharyngitis, and lymphadenopathy. While literature has reported cases of IM mimicking Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the histopathologic resemblance of IM to T-cell lymphomas is uncommon. In this report, we present a patient who clinically presented with symptoms of IM, which was confirmed through the monospot test. The novelty of this case was that tonsillar hyperplasia initially was interpreted as T-cell lymphoma in a patient with IM.

Keywords

• epstein-barr virus
• infectious mononucleosis
• t-cell lymphoma