Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Lymph node pathology in pulmonary veno-occlusive disease and pulmonary capillary heamangiomatosis

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Virchows Archiv Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To assess the histological bases of lymphadenomegaly, which has been reported as a frequent radiological finding in pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD), we have reviewed pulmonary and mediastinal lymph nodes resected during lung transplantations in 19 patients suffering from PVOD and related pulmonary capillary haemangiomatosis (PCH). Lymphatic congestion was common and was often obvious in subsegmental and segmental lymph nodes. Vascular transformation of the sinuses, intra-sinusal haemorrhage with erythrophagocytosis and lymphoid follicular hyperplasia were frequent especially in lobar, hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes. These lesions were very significantly less frequent in 33 cases of pulmonary hypertension unrelated to PVOD. Due to their thoracic location, these non-specific lesions could simulate other diagnoses such as Castleman disease or lymphangioleiomyomatosis. However, in the setting of pulmonary hypertension, they should suggest PVOD and PCH. They are probably secondary to venous congestion, veno-lymphatic shunts and angiogenetic factors associated with these diseases.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chan JK, Warnke RA, Dorfman R (1991) Vascular transformation of sinuses in lymph nodes. A study of its morphological spectrum and distinction from Kaposi's sarcoma. Am J Surg Pathol 15:732–743

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Cook PD, Czerniak B, Chan JK et al (1995) Nodular spindle-cell vascular transformation of lymph nodes. A benign process occurring predominantly in retroperitoneal lymph nodes draining carcinomas that can simulate Kaposi's sarcoma or metastatic tumor. Am J Surg Pathol 19:1010–1020

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Domingo C, Encabo B, Roig J, López D, Morera J (1992) Pulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis: report of a case and review of the literature. Respiration 59:178–180

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Dufour B, Maître S, Humbert M, Capron F, Simonneau G, Musset D (1998) High-resolution CT of the chest in four patients with pulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis or pulmonary venoocclusive disease. Am J Roentgenol 171:1321–1324

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Frazier AA, Franks TJ, Mohammed TL, Ozbudak IH, Galvin JR (2007) From the archives of the AFIP: pulmonary veno-occlusive disease and pulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis. Radiographics 27:867–882

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Holcomb BW, Loyd JE, Ely EW, Johnson J, Robbins IM (2000) Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease. A case series and new observations. Chest 118:1671–1679

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Ishii H, Iwabuchi K, Kameya T, Koshino H (1996) Pulmonary capillary haemangiomatosis. Histopathology 29:275–278

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Lantuéjoul S, Sheppard MN, Corrin B, Burke MM, Nicholson AG (2006) Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease and pulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis: a clinicopathologic study of 35 cases. Am J Surg Pathol 30:850–857

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Listinsky CM (1988) Common reactive erythrophagocytosis in axillary lymph nodes. Am J Clin Pathol 90:189–192

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Mandel J, Mark EJ, Hales CA (2000) Pulmonary veno-oclusive disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 162:1964–1973

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Matsui K, Tatsuguchi A, Valencia J et al (2000) Extrapulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM): clinicopathologic features in 22 cases. Hum Pathol 31:1242–1248

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Meysman M, Diltoer M, Raeve HD, Monsieur I, Huyghens L (1997) Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension and vascular transformation of the lymph node sinuses. Eur Respir J 10:1191–1193

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Resten A, Maitre S, Humbert M et al (2004) Pulmonary hypertension: CT of the chest in pulmonary venoocclusive disease. Am J Roentgenol 183:65–70

    Google Scholar 

  14. Scully RE, Mark EJ, McNeely WF, McNeely BU (1993) Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Weekly clinicopathological exercises. Case 48-1993. A 27-year-old woman with mediastinal lymphadenopathy and relentless cor pulmonale. N Engl J Med 329:1720–1728

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Miss Dominique Gimont, Mrs Magalie Guerini and Miss Sylvie Planté for their technical assistance and Mrs Marylaure Legentil and Mrs Angélique Roggia for their secretarial work.

Conflict of interest statement

We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vincent Thomas de Montpréville.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Thomas de Montpréville, V., Dulmet, É., Fadel, É. et al. Lymph node pathology in pulmonary veno-occlusive disease and pulmonary capillary heamangiomatosis. Virchows Arch 453, 171–176 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-008-0636-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-008-0636-3

Keywords

Navigation