Plasmacytoid T-Cells in a Reactive Lymph Node: Detection by Flow Cytometry?

Abstract

Plasmacytoid T-cells (PTCs) are a histologically recognized component of some reactive nodes. To the best of the authors' knowledge, plasmacytoid T-cells have never been recognized as a distinct cell population in a reactive lymph node using cell suspension flow cytometric studies. The authors here report a case of reactive lymph node hyperplasia in which prominent aggregates of PTCs were present and a distinct cell population with an immunophenotype characteristic of PTCs was identified by flow cytometry. Aside from the recognition of PTCs, this observation is important so that cell suspensions showing a distinct population of PTCs with an "aberrant" T-cell phenotype are not misinterpreted as providing evidence for a T-cell neoplasm.