Nasopharyngeal lymphoid tissue masses in patients with human immunodeficiency virus-1. Histologic findings and clinical correlation.

BACKGROUND

Although the histologic changes in lymph nodes in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) are well described, the histology and resulting clinical symptoms of hyperplastic nasopharyngeal lymphoid tissue (NPLT) in these patients are not widely known, particularly to pathologists and oncologists.

METHODS

Nine patients with HIV-1 presented with a nasopharyngeal mass, nasal stuffiness, nasal bleeding, hearing loss, and cervical lymphadenopathy in various combinations. Tonsillar tissue was biopsied or removed from all nine.

RESULTS

The tonsillar tissue showed a spectrum of the changes of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians and pathologists must be aware of the spectrum of histologic changes and clinical features relating to biopsies from NPLT to interpret the changes correctly and to avoid a misdiagnosis of malignant lymphoma.