Lymph Node Infarction

Lymph node infarction is defined as confluent coagulative necrosis of all or a proportion of the lymph node parenchyma, presumably as a result of ischemia. Lymph node infarction following chemotherapy for malignant neoplasms is excluded from this category. Although most are associated with a preexisting diagnosis of malignancy, lymph node infarcts may precede the diagnosis of malignant lymphoma or other neoplasm. Cases of lymph node infarction have been also reported in association with non-neoplastic conditions such as recent fine needle aspiration biopsy, mediastinoscopy, infectious mononucleosis, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and regional administration of gold for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.