Primary Hepatic Lymphoma: A Diagnosis to Remember

Abstract

We present 2 cases of PHL presenting to our hospital in the last 6 months. Both cases had similarities in that they had a rapidly progressive time course of less than 8 weeks and radiology failed to illustrate the normal disease pattern. Both were elderly men presenting with jaundice, rare presentations of PHL. One patient was interesting in that he had a bicytopenic blood picture, a common manifestation of PHL, whilst his lactate dehydrogenase was normal. The other had a past history of hepatitis B, interesting for its possible association with PHL. Whilst one patient died prior to treatment, the other was successfully treated with aggressive multidrug chemotherapy. A liver biopsy is essential in any patient where there is a high index of suspicion for PHL based on a bicytopenic blood picture, abnormal liver function tests or radiology. If diagnosed early enough, chemotherapy has proven a successful treatment.




J Med Cases. 2013;4(1):52-55
doi: https://doi.org/10.4021/jmc345w