Acute liver failure as the sole manifestation of relapsing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Acute liver failure due to hepatic involvement by haematological malignancies is very rare, and usually has a rapidly fatal prognosis. We describe the case of a man who was treated for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and achieved a complete remission after eight courses of chemotherapy. He then presented with acute liver failure. Transjugular liver biopsy revealed massive infiltration by lymphomatous cells, with extensive necrosis. A CT scan did not show any evidence of extrahepatic lymphoma. The patient recovered from the liver failure following combined immuno-chemotherapy. Recurrence of the disease should be included in the differential diagnosis of patients with haematological malignancies and acute liver failure, even without evidence of extrahepatic involvement.
Morali
G A
GA
Department of Gastroenterology, Shaare Zedek Medical Centre, Jerusalem, Israel.
Rozenmann
E
E
Ashkenazi
J
J
Munter
G
G
Braverman
D Z
DZ
D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000209:etiology*; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence