Primary effusion lymphoma.

[primary effusion lymphoma]

Primary effusion lymphoma is a large cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma localized predominantly in body cavities and occasionally in extracavitary regions . It presents with characteristic lymphomatous effusions in the absence of solid tumor masses , and pleural , peritoneal , and pericardial spaces are most often involved . It is typically associated with human herpesvirus 8 infection in immunocompromised individuals , in the setting of human immunodeficiency virus infection , organ transplantation , or in rare cases advanced age . Histologically , primary effusion lymphoma is characterized by atypical lymphoid cells of B-cell lineage with large nuclei and prominent nucleoli . Demonstration of human herpesvirus 8 latent antigens is required for diagnosis , and treatment modalities are limited at this time . In this review , we aim to summarize clinicopathologic features of this rare and unique entity .