Castleman disease

A heterogenous group of diseases that present with lymphadenopathy with variable presentations and prognosis. There are 3 main types recognized: 1) Hyaline vascular variant (the most common subtype, more common in younger patients, usually asymptomatic, localized disease, and best prognosis) ; 2) Plasma cell variant (Many are localized and more common in elderly with systemic symptoms such as anemia, thrombocytopenia, elevated ESR, elevated IL6, and polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia); 3) Multicentric variant (Some similarities to plasma cell variant with similar systemic symptoms and more common in elderly. However, this variant as the name implies usually involves multiple lymph nodes, is often seen in HIV positive patients, usually HHV8 positive, and has the worst prognosis. Additionally, it can be also associated with other HHV8 positive neoplasms such Kaposi Sarcoma).