High incidence of autoimmune disease in Japanese patients with ocular adnexal reactive lymphoid hyperplasia.

Abstract

To determine the incidence of autoimmune disease in Japanese patients with ocular adnexal lymphoid proliferations. Case series study. The authors investigated the incidence of autoimmune disease in 88 patients with primary ocular adnexal lymphoid proliferations. Southern blot analysis was used to determine the presence of B-cell clonality in reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (RLH) associated with autoimmune disease. Histopathologic analysis indicated that 15 (17%) patients had RLH, 62 (70%) patients had mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (MALToma), and 11 (13%) patients had primary lymphomas. The incidence of autoimmune disease was seven (47%) of 15 patients with RLH, two (3%) of 62 patients with MALToma, and zero (0%) of 11 patients with primary lymphoma. B-cell clonality was detected in one (14%) of seven RLH patients with autoimmune disease. Ocular adnexal RLH with or without B-cell clonality is highly associated with autoimmune disease.