Acute Liver Failure Caused by Primary Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma of the Liver

Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma with Severe Lactic Acidosis and Liver Failure: A Case Report and Literature Review

Among causes of liver failure, liver failure due to lymphocytic infiltration is rare. Unlike typical liver failure, some cases present with severe lactic acidosis and a poor prognosis. We herein report a case of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with severe lactic acidosis and liver failure. We further discuss the characteristics of similar cases in the literature, suggesting that intrahepatic infiltration by hematological malignant cells should be considered as a differential diagnosis in the presence of severe lactic acidosis and liver failure. This study underscores the importance of early recognition and serves as a reference for future cases.

CLINICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF HEPATIC LYMPHOMAS: A RETROSPECTIVE SINGLE-CENTER STUDY

BACKGROUND

The incidence of hepatic lymphoma has been increasing recently and diagnosis can be challenging as clinical presentation and radiological findings are usually variable and non-specific.

OBJECTIVE

The aims of this study were to describe their main clinical, pathological and imaging characteristics and identify poor prognostic factors.

METHODS

A retrospective study that included all patients with histological diagnosis of liver lymphoma over a 10-year period at our center was performed.

RESULTS

A total of 36 patients were identified, with mean age of 56.6 years and male predominance (58%). There were three patients with primary liver lymphoma (8.3%) and 33 with secondary liver lymphoma (91.7%). The most common histological type was diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (33.3%). The most common clinical manifestations included fever, lymphadenopathy, weight loss, night sweats and abdominal discomfort; three patients (11.1%) were asymptomatic. Computed tomography scan revealed heterogenous radiological patterns including a single nodule (26.5%), multiple nodules (41.2%) or diffuse infiltration (32.4%). The mortality rate during follow-up was 55.6%. Higher levels of C-reactive protein (P=0.031) and absence of treatment response (P<0.001) were significantly associated with higher mortality.

CONCLUSION

Hepatic lymphoma is a rare disease that may involve liver as part of a systemic disease or, less commonly, be confined to this organ. Clinical presentation and radiological findings are often variable and non-specific. It is associated with high mortality and poor prognostic factors include higher levels of C-reactive protein and absence of response to treatment.

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma primarily presenting as acute liver failure in a surviving patient

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a relatively rare presentation of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, often found only during postmortem examination in patients. We treated a 33-year-old woman with prominent jaundice who was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma presenting as ALF. We could not perform liver biopsy during the critical phase because of coagulopathy, but gastric biopsy showed the infiltration of lymphoma cells. The patient was successfully treated with rituximab and chemotherapy and she survived. Malignant lymphoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients who show liver dysfunction, and biopsy should be performed.

Hepatic Lymphoma Diagnosis

Systemic hematopoietic disorders may present on liver biopsy, and rare cases of primary hepatic lymphoma (PHL) may be encountered. Hepatopathologists must be familiar with the full spectrum of hematopoietic disorders involving the liver and be prepared to exclude benign mimics. PHL, which is confined to the liver without extrahepatic involvement, can present as solitary or multiple nodules, raising consideration for carcinoma on imaging, or may mimic benign inflammatory conditions, posing a diagnostic challenge. This article describes clinical, morphologic, and immunophenotypic features of some of the most common hematopoietic neoplasms involving the liver, along with differential diagnosis and recommended ancillary testing.