Pathological Studies on a Long-Term Survived Case of Gamma Heavy Chain Disease : a Brief Review of 30 Reported Cases and a Proposal for Histological Typing
Ogawa, K.; Imai, M.; Tanigawa, T.; Tsuji, T.; Arima, T.
Pathology International 28(5): 759-778
1978
ISSN/ISBN: 1320-5463
DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1827.1978.tb00915.x
Accession: 070349555
A pathological and brief clinical study on the eleventh case of gamma heavy chain (gamma-chain) disease who died at the age of 44 after a long course of 12 years from the assumed onset of the disease was presented. Clinicopathological observations of the case showed a neoplastic nature which caused her death complicated by asthmatic attacks. Autopsy findings were characterized by diffuse infiltration of lymphoplasmacytoid cells and a few large immunoblastic cells into various organs. Literatures of 30 cases reported in the past, and the modern concept of lymphoma strongly suggest that the classificatory position of gamma-chain disease as well as Waldenström's macroglobulinemia should be placed between multiple myeloma and classic malignant lymphoma as an independent disease entity belonging to the same category. A proposal of histological typing of the disease was made in order to simplify various diagnostic designations in the literatures:--gamma-chain disease, 1) reticular type, 2) lymphocytic predominance, 3) plasmacytic predominance, 4) lymphoplasmacytoid cell type, 5) immunoblastic type. The present case belongs to type 4.