Accessory cell tumour: a clinicopathological study of 16 aggressive tumours containing EBV-positive Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg-like giant cells

AIMS: Lymph nodes contain non-lymphoid accessory cells including follicular dendritic cells and interdigitating dendritic cells. Functionally, these cells belong to the category of immune accessory cells involved in antigen presentation to B or T-lymphocytes. Neoplastic proliferation of these cells is very uncommon. We present here the clinicopathological features of 16 cases of accessory cell tumour. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed electron microscopic and immunohistochemical examinations, and used in-situ hybridization for EBV-encoded RNA (ISH-EBV) to detect the EBV genome in 11 cases, and Southern blot analysis to assess EBV clonality in two cases. Tumour cells were composed of oval-to-spindle cells arranged in diffuse, vague storiform, fascicular and sometimes whorled patterns in a background of small lymphocytes. In all cases, binucleated or multinucleated Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg-like giant cells were encountered. Staining for CD68 was positive in all cases. CD21, CD35, Ki-M4p, Ki-FDC1p, and S100 exhibited variable reactivity. ISH-EBV yielded positive labelling in seven of 11 cases, of which five exhibited EBV only in Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg-like giant cells. Southern blot analysis showed clonality of EBV terminal repeats (EBV-TR) in the two cases examined. Electron microscopic examination showed that many of the tumour cells had numerous interwoven long villous cell processes connected by occasional desmosomes. Many tumours were very refractory to chemotherapy and radiation, with a few exceptions, and half of the cases classified initially as stage IV. A short survival time, of 10 months or less, was observed in seven of 16 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified more aggressive behaviour of accessory cell tumours. Our results suggest that EBV may potentially induce activation of accessory cells to form Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg-like giant cells, which correspond with poor prognosis.