title: A case of enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma: diagnosis by flow cytometric immunophenotyping and genome analysis using ascitic fluid.
abstract: Enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (ETCL) is a primary extranodal T-cell lymphoma arising in the gastrointestinal tract, and is known as a rare and highly aggressive disease with a poor prognosis. The diagnosis of ETCL is usually established by histological examination using resected tumors or biopsy specimens during endoscopic studies. If tumor specimens for histopathological investigation are not available, then such a case might be difficult to accurately diagnose. We report here a case of ETCL which was diagnosed by cytopathology and flow cytometric immunophenotyping using paracentesis fluid without tumor specimens. Immunophenotyping by flow cytometry (FCM) of the ascitic fluid (AF) was invaluable in the final diagnosis of ETCL. Moreover, genetic alterations in the current case were also demonstrated. We emphasize the usefulness of effusion cytology for the expeditious diagnosis of ETCL. In particular, even in cases without tumor specimens, immunophenotyping by FCM using AF can play an important role in the diagnosis of ETCL, and simultaneous genome analysis may be useful to elucidate the biological characteristics of ETCL.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Otsu Red Cross Shiga Hospital, 298 Wani-naka, Otsu, Shiga 520-0580, Japan. nishimu@hkg.odn.ne.jp
authors: Masako
authors: M
authors: Nishimura
authors: Kenjiro
authors: K
authors: Tomo
references: Mod Pathol. 1999 Feb;12(2):151-8
references: 10071340
references: Gastroenterology. 2007 May;132(5):1902-11
references: 17484883
references: Am J Pathol. 1998 Nov;153(5):1483-90
references: 9811340
references: Int Immunol. 1995 Sep;7(9):1473-87
references: 7495755
references: Diagn Cytopathol. 2002 Aug;27(2):90-5
references: 12203875
references: Curr Mol Med. 2009 Sep;9(7):836-50
references: 19860663
references: Gut. 2001 Dec;49(6):804-12
references: 11709515
references: Diagn Cytopathol. 2006 May;34(5):335-47
references: 16604559
references: Am J Clin Pathol. 2007 May;127(5):701-6
references: 17511112
references: Pathol Int. 2000 Sep;50(9):696-702
references: 11012982
references: Lancet. 2000 Jul 15;356(9225):203-8
references: 10963198
references: Acta Cytol. 1987 Mar-Apr;31(2):119-24
references: 3548191
references: Am J Pathol. 1992 Dec;141(6):1361-71
references: 1466400
references: Hum Pathol. 1994 Oct;25(10):1020-9
references: 7927306
references: Am J Pathol. 1988 Jul;132(1):1-5
references: 3260750
references: Histopathology. 2003 Aug;43(2):135-43
references: 12877728