PRIMARY ADRENAL LYMPHOMA WITH CHROMOSOMAL-ABNORMALITIES

Lymphomas developing in the adrenal glands are rare. Twenty-one cases of primary adrenal lymphomas have been reported in the English literat ure, but no cytogenetic data were given. We had the opportunity to exa mine three cases of primary adrenal lymphoma characterized by the B ce ll phenotype. Samples for histologic and immunohistologic diagnosis we re obtained from postmortem examination in cases 1 and 2, and with an ultrasound-guided needle biopsy in cases 2 and 3. In all 3 cases, hist ologic examination of adrenal masses showed diffuse medium-sized cleav ed lymphoma cells, which were positive for L-26, an immunohistochemica l B cell marker. Endocrine studies showed adrenal insufficiency in 1 c ase. Cytogenetic examination showed clonal abnormalities, including 8q 24 in case 1 and 14q32 in case 2, similar to those observed in nodal B cell lymphoma.