Nodular Lymphoid Hyperplasia as Incidental Finding of Suspect Pulmonary Mass

Abstract

Nodular lymphoid hyperplasia of the lung is a rare disease of polyclonal lymphoid proliferation. The incidental finding of a solid nodular lesion with irregular margins adjacent to the visceral pleura in the reported case was highly suggestive of malignancy. The present report underscores the typical immunohistochemical findings and the benign course of nodular lymphoid hyperplasia. The current knowledge about disease aetiology and the value of different diagnostic tools to distinguish nodular lymphoid hyperplasia from other pulmonary lymphoid lesions are summarized by a review of the literature. Surgical resection is not only diagnostic but also curative with no evidence so far that NLH can regress without operation. The present case shows the spontaneous regression of NLH after CT-guided biopsy indicating that an alternative, less invasive diagnostic approach has curative potential.