Human herpes virus 8-negative primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) in a patient after repeated chylous ascites and chylothorax.

We describe a case of malignant lymphoma which presented in the body cavitieswithout identifiable tumor masses. Malignant lymphoma cells showed strong atypiawith prominent nuclei and basophiliccytoplasm containing vacuoles. The chromosomes showed diploidy and complex abnormalities including translocations and deletions. We diagnosed this patient with primary effusion lymphoma(PEL), even though she tested negative for human herpes virus-8 (HHV-8) which has been suggested to be causally related to PEL. Interestingly, the patient also showed complicated protein-losing enteropathy, and PEL occurred after repeated chylous ascites and chylothorax. The possible pathogenesis of this rare diseaseis discussed here.