Immunoglobulin G4-related retroperitoneal fibrosis

Some patients diagnosed with idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis could be reclassified as IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD). Classification criteria have not been uniform and prevalence of IgG4-related retroperitoneal fibrosis (IgG4-RPF) is unknown in our region. We aimed to describe IgG4-RPF frequency relying on criteria published recently and comparing clinical, histopathologic and radiologic features with non-IgG4-RPF. From January, 2005 to December, 2020, nineteen adults with histopathologic diagnosis of idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis were included in a dynamic retrospective cohort at Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires. Pathology slides were reviewed and immunohistochemistry was performed and assessed for each case. We used classification criteria described in 2019 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism to identify IgG4-RD cases. Ten of 19 patients met criteria for IgG4-RPF. Median age was similar in two subsets (61 versus 55, p = 0.2) and both had male predominance. Three out of 10 patients (p = 0.2) featured other manifestations of IgG4-RD in the IgG4-RPF group, and periaortic fibrosis was the most significant finding in images (p = 0.01). Corticosteroids were mostly used as therapy, followed by azathioprine and rituximab. Most patients did not receive specific treatment. IgG4-RPF patients had dense lymphocytic infiltrate and 8 out of 10 showed storiform fibrosis (p = 0.02). IgG4+ cells/hpf and IgG4/IgG ratio were significantly higher (p = 0.01). Over half of the patients in our cohort met the criteria of IgG4-RPF. New criteria may harmonize the identification of IgG4-RD. As IgG4-RD may be reversible at initial stages, these findings may lead to early recognition, treatment and integral follow-up.