Lymph nodes & spleen, nonlymphoma
Ectopic tissue / inclusions
Adipose tissue
Last author update: 1 January 2014
Last staff update: 15 February 2024
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PubMed Search: Adipose tissue metaplasia
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Terminology | Epidemiology | Sites | Pathophysiology | Etiology | Clinical features | Diagnosis | Radiology description | Case reports | Treatment | Clinical images | Gross description | Gross images | Microscopic (histologic) description | Microscopic (histologic) images | Differential diagnosis | Additional referencesCite this page: Balakrishna J. Adipose tissue. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/lymphnodesadiposetissuemetaplasia.html. Accessed April 19th, 2024.
Definition / general
- Pathological enlargement of lymph nodes caused by abnormal accumulation of fat, due to mature, benign adipocytes within lymph node capsules
Terminology
- Lipo-lymph nodes
- Lipoplastic lymphadenopathy
Epidemiology
- Very common
Sites
- Most commonly involved sites are external iliac and obturator groups
Pathophysiology
- Accumulation of abnormal quantities of fat within lymph nodes in excess of normal aging changes
- Benign process with good prognosis
- Can cause mass effect depending on size
- May mimic lymphoma or other neoplasms
Etiology
- Unknown; postulated causes include exaggeration of normal fat deposition with aging, previous abdominal inflammatory disease, obesity
Clinical features
- Enlarged lymph nodes; may lead to formation of large masses up to 10 cm
Diagnosis
- Lymph node biopsy
Radiology description
- Progressive enlargement and increased fatty infiltration
- CAT scan and lymphangiography findings can be misleading towards neoplastic process
Case reports
- 47 year old man with abundant macroscopic fat in intra-abdominal lymph nodes (Br J Radiol 2012;85:e91)
- 49 year old woman with lipoplastic lymphadenopathy presenting as an ovarian mass (Gynecol Oncol 1987;28:345)
- 50 year old man with generalized lipomatosis of lymph nodes (Lymphology 1979;12:262)
- Middle aged women with lipolymph nodes of mesentery (Am Surg 1985;51:596)
- Lipoplastic lymphadenopathy simulating lymphoma and pelvic lipomatosis (J Urol 1975;114:788)
- Pelvic and aortic lipolymph nodes (Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 1982;61:383)
Treatment
- Excision of involved lymph node in symptomatic cases serves both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes
Clinical images
Images hosted on other servers:
Progressively enlarging lymph node
Largest intra-abdominal adenopathy
Gross description
- Enlarged lymph node with soft greasy yellow areas within capsule, or entirely replaced by similar cut surfaces
Gross images
Contributed by Jayalakshmi Balakrishna, M.D.
Lymph node replaced by adipose tissue
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Benign mature adipocytes populate nodes whose capsules are thinly attenuated with fine vascular trabeculae dividing fat deposits
Microscopic (histologic) images
AFIP images
Lipomatosis
Contributed by Jayalakshmi Balakrishna, M.D.
Lymphoid tissue closely admixed with adipocytes
Lymph node with adipocytes within capsule
Differential diagnosis
- Intranodal angiolipoma (Int J Surg Pathol 2005;13:99)
- Other causes of lymphadenopathy: lymphoma, metastases, inflammatory / infectious causes
- Retroperitoneal or pelvic lipomatosis
Additional references
