Abstract
Clinical, roentgenological, and pathological findings of 6 cases of primary small lymphoid tumors of the lung were reviewed. All cases were resected, by penumonectomy, lobectomy, or wedge resection, except for 1 open lung biopsy. Later metastasis to the other organs, invasion to the parietal pleuras, metastasis to the hilar or mediastinal lymph nodes, or immunohistochemical confirmation of monoclonality of tumor cells, were considered to be evidence of malignant lymphoma.
Three cases were diagnosed as lymphomas and the other 3 not, and these 2 groups were compared. Each group showed similar features. Typical features were as follows: 1. Relatively asymptomatic persons. 2. Scanty inflammatory reaction in laboratory data. 3. Rather fair prognosis. 4. Roentogenologically non-segmental infiltrative or mass shadows with rather hazy margin and clear air-bronchogram. 5. Macroscopically, whitish, ill-defined tumor without necrosis. 6. Microscopically, monotonous infiltration of small lymphoid cells to the lung parenchyma with extension along lymphatics at the periphery. Invasion to the vascular walls, bronchial walls and mucosal layer, bronchiolar walls and mucosal layer, and visceral pleuras. No. qualitative differences between the 2 groups were found.
It is thought that these 2 groups are actually same disease (malignant lymphoma).
