Butler A E, Colby T V, Weiss L, Lombard C
Department of Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905.
Am J Surg Pathol. 1989 Aug;13(8):632-9. doi: 10.1097/00000478-198908000-00002.
Originally described in the nasopharynx, lymphoepitheliomas are undifferentiated carcinomas with prominent lymphoid infiltration. Recently this tumor has been described in a number of other sites. An association with prior infection by the Epstein-Barr virus has been recognized in cases from the nasopharynx. We report four cases of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma arising in the lung. Epstein-Barr virus serology indicated prior infection in two cases, one of which was also found by in situ hybridization to have the virus genome. Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma must be considered in the differential diagnosis of primary lung tumors, particularly when an extensive infiltrate by lymphoid tissue is present and may even suggest lymphoma.
