Histological description of the lymphadenopathy related to Toscana virus infection. Report of a case

Abstract

Toscana virus (TOSV) infection is a frequent cause of meningitis in central Italy during summer. The disease generally has a benign course. Rarely, the infection produces a severe disease, with encephalitis and signs of systemic involvement, including lymphadenopathy. Since there is no clinical necessity of performing lymph node biopsy in such cases, the histopathological feature of TOSV-related lymphadenitis is not known. We herein present a case in which lymphadenopathy preceded the onset of meningitis. The excised lymph node showed a non-specific mixed-type lymphoid hyperplasia, with follicular hyperplasia, sinusal expansion and paracortical involvement. We also demonstrated the presence of viral protein and viral RNA in the lymph node tissue.