Malignant lymphomas and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Evaluation of 30 cases using a working formulation.

Malignant lymphomas occurring in 29 homosexual men and one thalassemic woman with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related complex are reported using a working formulation for non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs). The patients' ages ranged from 25 to 59 years, with an average age of 42 years. Ninety percent of the cases were extranodal; 67% were exclusively extranodal. One case of Hodgkin's disease was encountered. All NHLs were of the diffuse types in both the intermediate- and high-grade categories, with the largest single group (49%) being of the diffuse, large, follicular-center-cell types. The NHLs in this series were classifiable as B-cell neoplasms and were aggressive as evidenced by markedly reduced median survivals. The morphological diagnosis as defined in the working formulation, especially for the intermediate-grade lesions, offered little significant prognostic information.