A rare case of primary follicular lymphoma of the spleen

Abstract

Primary splenic lymphoma (PSL) is a rare entity accounting for less than 1% of lymphoid malignancies. Follicular lymphoma primarily involving the spleen is still rare and constitutes only 10% of the PSLs. PSLs constitute a heterogeneous group of diseases with wide variations in clinical presentation as well as lymphoid populations from which they originate. Here we are reporting a case of a 43-year-old female presenting with massive splenomegaly and hypersplenism with anemia, leucopenia, and thrombocytopenia. Other investigations revealed no abnormality. When the patient underwent splenectomy for hypersplenism and the specimen was subjected to histopathological examination and immunohistochemistry the diagnosis of follicular lymphoma was made. As splenomegaly and hypersplenism are common in clinical practice, other common causes of splenomegaly and hypersplenism should be excluded. High level of suspicion and thorough investigation are required to establish the diagnosis. In the present case, the diagnosis was made retrospectively after splenectomy.

Keywords

• Follicular lymphoma
• involved field radiotherapy (IFRT)
• immunochemotherapy
• immunohistochemistry
• primary splenic lymphoma (PSL)