A unique subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma primarily involving the bone marrow, spleen, and liver, defined by fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography

Abstract

We describe 10 cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) confined to the bone marrow (BM), spleen, and liver, as evidenced by the uniformly increased uptake of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) on positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (PET/CT). Ages ranged from 56 to 87. All, but one patient presented with ‘B’ symptoms, a poor performance status, and hepatosplenomegaly. All patients showed cytopenia and elevated lactate dehydrogenase levels and were classified into the high-risk category of the International Prognostic Index scoring. BM infiltration was diffuse, interstitial/intrasinusoidal, or mixed, and all showed the nongerminal center B immunophenotype. Five patients had a rearrangement involving 3q27/BCL6, while six had increased copies of MYC, BCL2, or BCL6. All patients were initially treated with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone, leading to complete responses in six out of eight evaluable patients. We propose BM, spleen, and liver-type DLBCL, which is defined by the findings of FDG-PET/CT.

Keywords:

• BCL6 gene
• BM
• diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
• FDG-PET/CT
• liver type
• R-CHOP
• spleen

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Tenri Foundation.

Potential conflict of interest

Disclosure forms provided by the authors are available with the full text of this article at http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/10428194.2016.1154959.