Castleman's disease of the neck: report of 4 cases with unusual presentations.

PURPOSE: Most of the previously reported cases of Castleman’s disease (CD) in the neck were of the hyaline vascular type and the most common sign was an asymptomatic neck mass. To achieve a more general recognition of CD in the neck, we present four cases of CD in the neck with unusual presentations.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

We describe four cases of CD in the neck with unusual clinical manifestations, different histopathologic subtypes and discuss the problems arising in their clinical findings.

RESULTS

Two cases were plasma cell type with multiple bilateral enlarged lymph nodes and systemic manifestations. Two cases presented as a solitary mass were hyaline vascular type. One case underwent twice local recurrence and evolved from the hyaline vascular CD to follicular dendritic cell sarcoma.

CONCLUSIONS

Cervical plasma cell CD may have a tendency to present as multiple masses on the both sides with systemic manifestations. It is necessary to pay more attention on the overgrowth of follicular dendritic cells in the hyaline vascular CD, which might represent a precursor of follicular dendritic cell sarcoma.