title: Splenic lymphangioma with papillary endothelial proliferation: a case report and review of the literature.
abstract: A 76-year-old man complained of difficulty breathing. A solitary mass was found in the spleen by ultrasonography and the tumor was excised. Grossly, the tumor was 3.9 x 2.9 cm in size, solid and brownish in color. A stellate scar-like fibrosis was observed in the center of the tumor. Histologically, the tumor consisted of the proliferation of irregular and small lymph vessel-like spaces, with sclerotic change in the center. The lymph vessel-like spaces showed papillary projections of the lining cells. The lumen contained amorphous proteinaceous fluid. Immunohistochemically, the lining cells of lymph vessel-like spaces were positive for endothelial markers (CD31, CD34, factor VIII-related antigen), and bound Ulex europaeus agglutinin-1. The tumor was diagnosed as splenic lymphangioma, but its appearance was rather unusual for a typical splenic lymphangioma because of the presence of papillary endothelial proliferation and scar-like fibrosis. Splenic lymphangioma with papillary endothelial proliferation is uncommon, and there have been only four cases reported.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. kusabaa@med.kurume-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takayama
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: Keita
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Masamichi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kojiro
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000032:analysis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008202:Lymphangioma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D037121:Plant Lectins / Q000032:analysis; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000032:analysis; D013160:Splenic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D020302:Weibel-Palade Bodies / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D037121:Plant Lectins; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; C036850:Ulex europaeus lectins; D014841:von Willebrand Factor