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Primary cutaneous and systemic plasmacytosis is a rare disorder characterized by infiltration of the skin by polyclonal plasma cells of unknown etiology, frequently accompanied by polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia and diffuse superficial lymphadenopathy. It primarily arises in patients of Japanese descent, and it is exceedingly rare in Caucasians. We describe a 36-year-old Portuguese male who presented with disseminated reddish-brown plaques over the trunk, neck, and upper limbs with normal gammaglobulinemia consistent with a diagnosis of primary cutaneous plasmacytosis.

Objective To explore the radiological and histological findings characteristic of AIDS related Burkitt lymphoma. Methods Radiological and histological data from 4 patients with AIDS related Burkitt lymphoma were retrospectively analyzed. All the 4 patients received CT scanning and MR imaging. Of the 4 patients, 3 underwent surgical removal of lymphoma and the other 1 was performed aspiration biopsy. Results All the 4 patients were detected with superficial lymphadenopathy, with 2 at the neck and the other 2 at the armpit. Extra-nodal invasion were found in 3 patients, of which 2 had multi-organ lesions. Their diagnoses were histologically defined to be Burkitt lymphoma. Conclusion AIDS-related Burkitt lymphoma is radiologically shown as lymphadenopathy and multi-organ involvement. Diffuse tumor cells with moderate sizes exist in intra- and extra-nodal tissues, characterized by stars-in-the-sky sign. Immunohistochemically, both CD10 and CD20 are positive, and the positive rate of Ki67 is almost up to 100%.

PURPOSE: Recent studies have reported high accuracy of power Doppler sonography (PDS) and color Doppler sonography (CDS) in the differentiation of benign and malignant peripheral superficial lymphadenopathy. This study was conducted to determine whether PDS can differentiate benign from malignant abdominal lymph nodes on the basis of defined vascular patterns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 88 color pictures of abdominal lymph nodes (39 benign lymph nodes, 24 malignant lymphomas, 25 lymph node metastasis) done in the power Doppler mode. The goal was to determine whether benign and malignant abdominal lymph nodes can be differentiated in power Doppler sonography on the basis of 9 defined vascular patterns. RESULTS: Three vascular patterns showed a significantly (p < 0.05) higher appearance in malignant than in benign lymph nodes: aberrant vessel (specificity 87 %), avascular focus (specificity 92 %) and subcapsular vessel (specificity 100 %). The vascular pattern hiliar vessel showed a significantly higher appearance in benign lymph nodes (specificity 87.8 %). CONCLUSION: Three vascular patterns are detectable in power Doppler mode (avascular focus, aberrant vessel, subcapsular vessel) in abdominal lymph nodes, which are typical for malignant abdominal lymphadenopathy. The presence of one of these vascular patterns means with a high specificity (87 - 100 %) that an abdominal lymphadenopathy is malignant. One vascular pattern (hiliar vessel) shows a significantly higher appearance in benign lymph nodes.

The first autochthonous case of acute/subacute disseminated paracoccidioidomycosis observed in a child in Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) is reported. The disease started with widespread superficial lymphadenopathy six months before the patient was admitted to the hospital. The diagnosis was made through a cervical lymph node biopsy. The spectrum of the clinical forms of the mycosis observed in this State is commented upon.

Cutaneous plasmacytosis is a rare disease characterized by peculiar multiple eruptions and hypergammaglobulinemia. More than 40 cases have been reported, mainly in Japan, although information concerning the disorder was limited to individual case reports.To clarify the clinicopathological and laboratory features, we reviewed 41 cases.All patients were Japanese and the male-to-female ratio was 1:0.6. The onset ages ranged from 20 to 62 years, with a mean and median of 37 and 37 years. A superficial lymphadenopathy was detected in 58% (22/38), and polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia was found in 93% (38/41). No cases were associated with any apparent underlying diseases. The course was chronic without spontaneous remission. Four patients died, 3 of whom succumbed to leukemia, respiratory failure or renal failure, respectively.The results suggest that the condition appears to be a variant of reactive plasmacytic disorders of unknown origin.

Ultrasonography has proved a valuable tool for the detection of enlarged lymph nodes; however, differentiation between benign and malignant nodal disease remains a problem. High-frequency probes with improved spatial and contrast resolution display superficial nodes to advantage and also show the internal structure of the nodes. Ninety-four superficial nodes in patients with suspected nodal disease were examined by using 7.5-MHz probes to evaluate longitudinal-transverse diameter ratio (L/T), the central hilus, cortical widening, and size. Histologic diagnosis was obtained after sonographic examination in 73 nodes (five reactive nodes, 35 primary nodal malignancies, and 33 nodal metastases). The remaining 21 nodes regressed after either antibiotic or no therapy. Marked differences were observed among the proportions of benign and malignant nodes in terms of L/T, hilus, and cortex; the latter two structures, however, must be interpreted together. Eccentric cortical widening was seen in only malignant nodes. The distribution of nodal size was not significantly (P greater than .1) different for benign and malignant nodes. No differences were observed between primary and secondary nodal malignancies. The sonographic criteria evaluated in this study assist in the differentiation of benign from malignant superficial lymph nodes.

Two male patients, aged 36 and 73 years respectively, gradually developed febrile pancytopenia with profound alteration of their general condition and major inflammatory repercussions. No superficial or deep lymph node enlargement was found initially. Patient n degree 2 had an enlarged spleen. In both cases histological examination of the bone marrow showed an extensive and apparently nonspecific myelofibrosis. The subsequent development of superficial lymphadenopathy provided a firm diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease with mixed cellularity. These two cases belong to the category of exceptional massive medullary forms of Hodgkin's disease described by Duhamel et al. in 1979.

A Nigerian male child presented with extensive superficial lymphadenopathy, a bleeding diathesis, and numerous tumour cells in blood and bone marrow. Further characterization of the tumour cells confirmed the diagnosis of Burkitt's lymphoma. The main unusual features shown by this patient are discussed.

Seven cases are presented of an exfoliative erythroderma with intense pruritus, edema, pigmentation, superficial lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, leonine facies, alopecia, dystrophic nails, and hyperkeratosis of the palms and soles. A cutaneous infiltrate of atypical mononuclear cells is present in this condition and is associated with an increased leukocyte count and with an abundance of these atypical cells in the peripheral blood. The cell is characterized by a large, convoluted nucleus with a narrow rim of cytoplasm frequently containing numerous vacuoles in a necklace-like arrangement around the nucleus. Within these vacuoles is an intensively PAS-positive, diastase-resistant neutral mucopolysaccharide. Patients with this disease remain in good general condition for a long time. Treatment with superficial irradiation, steroids, and cytotoxic agents yields only temporary relief. Death occurs approximately 5 years after the first symptoms have been noted.