Large abdominal mass as clinical presentation of plasmablastic lymphoma

Abstract

Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL), a very aggressive variant of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), has been described initially as a rapidly progressive and almost invariably fatal diffuse large-cell lymphoma with plasmablastic features. Immunohistochemical findings showed generally CD20 antigen negative and VS38c, CD138 and MUM 1 positives. This neoplasm was initially described almost exclusively involving the jaw and oral mucosa in HIV-positive patients. However, most recently, the clinical spectrum of the disease has been expanding, with a number of single case reports in HIV-negative patients and with extra-oral manifestations.