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Intravital Imaging of Intraepithelial Lymphocytes in Murine Small Intestine
Published on: June 24, 2019
Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma presenting with fulminant pseudomembranous colitis
Tao Wang1, Hasan Ghaffar, Andrea Grin
1Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Pathology, Research and Practice
|April 25, 2013
Summary
Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVL) is rare and often diagnosed late. This case highlights an unusual presentation of IVL within colonic vasculature, discovered incidentally during treatment for pseudomembranous colitis.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Oncology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVL) is a rare non-Hodgkin lymphoma characterized by proliferation of malignant lymphocytes confined to blood vessels.
- IVL typically presents with non-specific symptoms and is often diagnosed at advanced stages.
- The gastrointestinal tract is an uncommon primary site for IVL.
Observation:
- A 78-year-old man with medically refractory pseudomembranous colitis underwent colectomy.
- Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma was incidentally discovered.
- Malignant lymphocytes were exclusively found within the small colonic submucosal vasculature, with no evidence of extravascular tumor.
- This represents a unique presentation of IVL in the gastrointestinal system, specifically with pseudomembranous colitis.
Findings:
- The case demonstrates an incidental diagnosis of IVL.
- The lymphoma's localization was confined to the colonic submucosal vasculature.
- This presentation is rare, especially with pseudomembranous colitis as the initial clinical context.
Implications:
- This case expands the understanding of IVL presentation and diagnostic challenges.
- It underscores the importance of considering IVL in gastrointestinal pathologies, even with unusual clinical scenarios.
- Further research into early diagnostic markers and therapeutic strategies for IVL is warranted.
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