Peripheral T-cell lymphoma involving the placenta.

Abstract

Placental involvement by maternal malignant lymphoma is a rare complication of pregnancy. The case of a 29-year-old woman found to have placental involvement by peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) diagnosed by morphologic study, immunoperoxidase stains, and molecular genetic studies is reported. The lymphoma was pathologic Stage IVB and although there were no adverse consequences for the child, but the neoplasm progressed rapidly during the postpartum period. The clinical course suggested that the immunologic changes of the pregnancy exerted a lymphoma-suppressive effect on the lymphoma. The authors know of no other report of a patient with placental involvement by PTCL.