midline lethal granuloma

lethal midline granuloma

The term is now retired and of historic interest. Lethal midline granuloma was best considered a clinical syndrome rather than a specific histologic lesion, and described as a destructive lesion of the upper respiratory tract—nose, nasopharynx, palate and midface. It was either idiopathic or secondary to lymphoma, malignant histiocytosis or Wegener’s granulomatosis. Many of the lesions formerly designated as lethal midline granoma would now be called angiocentric lymphoma and angiocentric immunoproliferative lesions.

mid·line le·thal gran·u·lo·ma

(mid'līn lē'thăl gran'yū-lō'mă) Destruction of the nasal septum, hard palate, lateral nasal walls, paranasal sinuses, skin of the face, orbit, and nasopharynx by an inflammatory infiltrate with atypical lymphocytic and histiocytic cells; presumably a hypersensitivity response to an unidentified antigen in most cases. The prognosis is poor, despite radiotherapy.
Synonym(s): malignant granuloma.

mid·line le·thal gran·u·lo·ma

(mid'līn lē'thăl gran'yū-lō'mă) Destruction of nasal septum, hard palate, lateral nasal walls, paranasal sinuses, facial skin, orbit, and nasopharynx by an inflammatory infiltrate with atypical lymphocytic and histiocytic cells.