Reactive lymphoid hyperplasia of the liver: literature review and 3 case reports

Reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (RLH) is a benign non-specific lesion having an unknown etiology and pathogenesis. The lesion is found in various organs but is rare in the liver. We report 3 cases of hepatic RLH associated with an extrahepatic malignant tumor. We also provide a literature review based on a search of the PubMed database from 1983 to 2009. The 3 cases showed radiological findings similar to those for malignant tumors and all cases were misdiagnosed as malignant tumors on the basis of these findings. It is difficult to distinguish RLH from malignant or metastatic tumors on the basis of imaging findings. Hepatic RLH is a rare entity and may cause a false diagnosis of malignancy. Because RLH occurs most commonly in middle-aged females, diagnosis of a hypervascular tumor of the liver requires particular care in these patients, especially if an extrahepatic malignancy is present.