Coexistence of hepatoma with mantle cell lymphoma in a hepatitis B carrier

The coexistence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in the liver is rare. Reports show that these patients have cirrhotic livers or hepatitis virus infections before they develop HCC and NHL. We present a patient with hepatitis B virus infection who was transferred to our hospital with a newly detected liver mass; abdominal computed tomography examination showed one hypodense mass of 7 cm in diameter and multiple mesenteric and mediastinal lymph nodes. A liver tumor biopsy showed a hepatoma, and the pathologic findings from an inguinal lymph node excision showed mantle cell lymphoma. An immunohistochemical stain confirmed that the atypical lymphoid cells within the HCC were positive for the CD20, CD5 and cyclin D1 antigens. Taking these findings into account, the hepatic tumor was determined to be a HCC infiltrated by mantle cell lymphoma.