Extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma presenting as an abdominal wall mass. A case report and review of the literature

• Published in: Leukemia & lymphoma Vol. 47; no. 2; pp. 329 - 332
• Main Authors: Bozas, George, Anagnostou, Dimitra, Tassidou, Anna, Moulopoulos, Lia A., Bamias, Aristotelis, Dimopoulos, Meletios A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Informa UK Ltd 01.02.2006
• Subjects: Abdominal Neoplasms - diagnosis; Abdominal Neoplasms - drug therapy; Abdominal Neoplasms - surgery; Abdominal Wall - pathology; Abdominal Wall - surgery; Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Liposarcoma - diagnosis; Lymphoma, B-Cell - diagnosis; Lymphoma, B-Cell - drug therapy; Lymphoma, B-Cell - surgery; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin - diagnosis; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin - drug therapy; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin - surgery; Male; Soft Tissue Neoplasms - diagnosis; Soft Tissue Neoplasms - drug therapy; Soft Tissue Neoplasms - surgery; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1042-8194; 1029-2403
• DOI: 10.1080/10428190500262573

Soft tissue lymphoma is a very rare clinical entity with varying presentation characteristics and atypical clinical and imaging features. The present report describes a patient who presented with a painless soft tissue mass on the posterolateral surface of the abdominal wall, simulating a neoplasm of mesenchymal origin. After complete surgical excision, the tumor was diagnosed as a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. No B-symptoms were present and clinical staging did not reveal other sites of disease (stage I EA). The International Prognostic Index score was equal to 1 and classified the patient to the good risk group. Post-operatively the patient was treated with immuno-chemotherapy consisting of rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, epirubicin, vincristine and prednisolone and is currently free of disease for 10 months. The case is discussed with a brief review of the literature on the diagnosis, treatment and outcome of soft tissue lymphomas.