ORBITAL LYMPHOMA ASSOCIATED WITH ACQUIRED-IMMUNE-DEFICIENCY-SYNDROME (AIDS)

A new case of AIDS-associated, small noncleaved cell (Burkitt's) lymph oma that presented as an orbital mass is described. Extraocular muscle involvement was documented by computed tomography and confirmed by or bital biopsy. Extensive abdominal involvement was subsequently diagnos ed and this caused the patient's death only 15 days after the initial consultation and orbital biopsy. A literature review discloses only ei ght previous case reports of AIDS-associated non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (N HL) involving the orbit: two cases of Burkitt's type and six cases of large cell immunoblastic type. Three additional cases of orbital NHL c an be found among larger series of AIDS cases. Affected patients are u niformly young adult males with a history of homosexuality and/or IV d rug abuse. Variations in clinical presentation are discussed. Although the morphology of the histopathologic specimen in our case was consis tent with a high-grade, small noncleaved cell NHL, flow cytometry reve aled an atypical immunophenotype for Burkitt's lymphoma in that CD20 a nd immunoglobulin light chain antigens were not expressed. Morphologic classification and immunophenotypic characteristics of AIDS-associate d NHLs are discussed.