Oral plasmablastic lymphoma in previously undiagnosed HIV disease

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is the second most common HIV;associated malignancy this report details a case of the recently described entity plasmablastic l ymphoma of the mouth in a patient who was later found to have severe HIV di sease. The tumor manifested asa large ulcerated mass of the left maxillary alveolus, causing bony destruction and tooth mobility. Histologic examinati on of lesional tissue revealed a lymphoid tumor with a high proliferation r ate containing lymphoplasmacytoid cells that were reactive to the plasma ce ll marker VS38c but not to CD20 or CD79a; these are features of the recentl y reported non-Hodgkin's lymphoma termed plasmablastic lymphoma. This is on ly the second report of an unusual tumor that has a predilection for the or ofacial tissues.