Herpes-Like DNA Sequences in a Body-Cavity–Based Lymphoma in an HIV-Negative Patient

To the Editor: In the May 4 issue, 1 we reported the presence of Kaposi's sarcoma–associated herpesvirus-like (KSHV) DNA sequences in primary lymphomatous effusions occurring in the pleural, pericardial, and abdominal cavity, usually in the absence of an identifiable tumor mass, in persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). These body-cavity–based lymphomas appear to represent a distinct subgroup of AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphomas because of their unusual clinical, immunophenotypic, and molecular genetic characteristics. We have now identified KSHV in a lymphomatous pleural effusion in an 85-year-old HIV-negative white man, whose medical history was notable only for congestive heart failure, coronary artery . . .