Journal of the Formosan Medical Association
Volume 109, Issue 3 , Pages 185-191, March 2010

Intravascular Large B cell Lymphoma in Taiwan: An Asian Variant of Non-germinal-center Origin

  • Min-Shu Hsieh

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Yun-Lin Branch, Yun-Lin, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Yi-Chen Yeh

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pathology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Yueh-Hung Chou

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pathology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Chung-Wu Lin

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Dr Chung-Wu Lin, Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital, 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei, Taiwan

Received 17 February 2009; received in revised form 20 May 2009; accepted 22 July 2009.

Background/Purpose

Intravascular large B cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a rare variant of diffuse large B cell lymphoma. We reported the clinical and immunohistochemical characteristics of 10 cases of IVLBCL from Taiwan between 1995 and 2008.

Methods

Clinical data were reviewed and immunoperoxidase stains were performed with antibodies against CD20, CD10, Bcl-6, MUM1, and CD5.

Results

There were eight males and two females with a median age of 59 years. Patients presented with dyspnea (5/10), fever (7/10), splenomegaly (5/10), and bone marrow involvement (8/10). Anemia (9/10), thrombocytopenia (6/10), and elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase or ferritin levels (8/10) were also common. Nine cases were CD20+CD10−Bcl-6−, similar to non-germinal center B cells. Six out of seven patients survived after chemotherapy, but three cases with thrombocytopenia that precluded chemotherapy died within 2 months.

Conclusion

Our cases of IVLBCL had a non-germinal center B origin and belonged to the Asian variant of this disease. The liver, spleen, and bone marrow, but rarely the skin or brain, were involved. Thrombocytopenia is a major risk factor for mortality in these cases.

Key Words:  angiotropic lymphoma , fever , intravascular large B cell lymphoma

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PII: S0929-6646(10)60041-1

doi:10.1016/S0929-6646(10)60041-1

Journal of the Formosan Medical Association
Volume 109, Issue 3 , Pages 185-191, March 2010

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