Aspiration cytology of lymphocyte-depleted Hodgkin's lymphoma in a man infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. A case report.

We describe the case of a 39-year-old, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive man who was noted to have a chest wall mass on physical examination. Fine needle aspiration of the mass showed atypical spindle cells. Excisional biopsy of the mass revealed Hodgkin's lymphoma with areas of lymphocyte depletion consisting of a proliferation of myofibroblastic cells. The myofibroblastic, lymphocyte-depleted areas in the Hodgkin's lymphoma mass corresponded to the spindle cells seen in the aspirate. While the presence of spindle cells in aspirates of masses in HIV-positive patients usually suggests Kaposi's sarcoma, other entities, including lymphocyte-depleted Hodgkin's lymphoma, should be considered.