An 80-year-old man, with a past medical history of senile dementia, present
ed with a 6-month history of a solitary, gradually enlarging tumor, located
on his chin. A squamous cell carcinoma had been surgically excised 30 year
s previously in the same location.
Physical examination revealed an erythematous, well-defined plaque of 3 cm
in diameter, located on the chin (Fig. 1). The submandibular lymph nodes we
re enlarged. Squamous cell carcinoma and primary cutaneous lymphoma were co
nsidered.
Relevant laboratory findings were as follows: white blood cell count, 5.600
/mu L; eosinophils, 1000/mu L; gammaglobulin, 2.4 g/dL; lactate dehydrogena
se, 343 IU/L; and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus (
EBV) positive (at 1 : 128 serum dilution), with negative IgM.
Skin and lymph node biopsies were performed. Histopathologic study of the c
utaneous specimen revealed a heavy lymphoid infiltrate with numerous lympho
id follicles, with prominent germinal centers involving the subcutaneous fa
t as well as the deep dermis and muscular fascia. Some germinal centers sho
wed folliculolysis. The lymphoid follicles were surrounded by fibrous tissu
e. The interfollicular infiltrate was rich in plasma cells and eosinophils
that formed scattered eosinophilic microabscesses. Thin-walled vessels were
numerous and prominent, but with no epithelioid or vacuolated endothelial
cells (Fig. 2). Histopathology of a lymph node biopsy specimen showed react
ive lymphoid follicle hyperplasia, with prominent eosinophilic infiltrates
in both follicular and interfollicular areas. Eosinophilic deposits and pol
ykaryocytes of Warthin-Finkeldey type were seen in the germinal centers. Th
e paracortical area showed vascular proliferation.
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of specific sequences of
EBV from routinely processed paraffin-embedded material was carried out und
er the conditions and with the same set of primers as described previously
in detail (Tenorio A, Echevarria JE, Casas E, et al. J Virol Methods 1993;
44: 261-269). DNA samples were confirmed to be amplifiable with PCR primers
specific for a conserved region of the human beta-globin gene. Every sampl
e was tested at least twice for EBV DNA and beta-globin gene. One sample fr
om one skin lesion of the patient, with confirmed diagnosis of Kimura's dis
ease, and 10 samples from normal skin biopsies retrospectively collected fr
om other patients in archival files of our department were tested. Only the
patient's specimen tested positive to EBV. The amplified product of EBV wa
s analyzed using DNA sequencing and confirmed the results obtained.
The patient received radiotherapy at doses of 35 Gy. Nevertheless, the tumo
r enlarged to reach twofold its original size 1 month later. Due to the phy
sical status of the patient, no further treatments were considered, but the
disease remained stable over the following 3 years.