Primary effusion lymphoma in an HIV-negative patient with no serologic evidence of Kaposi's sarcoma virus

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a newly described high-grade B cell lymphoma which develops in association with Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSV) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals. We hereby describe a very unusual presentation of PEL that developed in the abdominal cavity of an HIV negative, KSV negative patient with a 1-year history of refractory ascites due to alcohol-related liver cirrhosis. Possible factors aiding lymphomagenesis in the cirrhotic state are discussed.