CD30-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) of T-cell lineage in a 14-month-old infant with perinatally acquired HIV-1 infection.

PURPOSE: CD30-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) has been described in adults with HIV-1 infection but is extremely rare in HIV-1-infected infants and children.

PATIENT AND METHODS: A 14-month-old girl with congenitally acquired HIV-1 infection presented with fever and a tender, erythematous, cystic mass on the right labium majorum. The mass was biopsied. Histologic examination and immunohistochemistry were performed.

RESULTS: Histologic examination showed Touton-like giant cells resembling histiocytes and focally abundant neutrophils obscuring the lymphoid infiltrate. Immunocytochemistry revealed a CD30-positive ALCL of T-cell lineage.

CONCLUSION: Although non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is known to be associated with HIV-1 infection in children, large cell lymphomas of T-cell lineage are extremely rare in this population. Early diagnosis should be aggressively pursued in an HIV-1-infected child who presents with a fever and cutaneous mass.