Testicular lymphoma in two patients with AIDS and two without AIDS

Objective. To describe the clinical, morphological and inmunophenotypic cha racteristics and followup of testicular non Hodgkin lymphomas seen in a ref erral center. Methods. We reviewed the cases of testicular lymphoma seen fr om 1987 to 1997. We obtained data of laboratory tests, radiological finding s, clinical course, treatment and new immunohistochemical studies (CD45, CD 20, CD43, Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein and antibodies UCHL-1) . We performed a blind analysis to identify the morphological variables ass ociated to the clinical course. The Fisher exact test was used for statisti cal significance identification. Results. 53 patients with testicular tumor s were seen. Four of them were lymphomas (7.5%) with a mean age of 47 years (range 33-73) and two of the four had AIDS. A comparative analysis showed major local invasion of surgical margins and system ic progression in the A IDS cases. Immunohystochemical testing showed that the neoplasia was formed by B cells negative for Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein. The tw o patients without AIDS showed no evidence of the disease after 64 and 144 months of followup. The AIDS cases died one and three months after the diag nosis of testicular lymphoma was made. Conclusions. The four cases of testi cular lymphoma were of B cell lineage without immunohystochemical expressio n for Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein. There was a more aggressi ve clinical course in the cases associated with AIDS.