title: High-grade plasmablastic neoplasm of humerus in an HIV-negative patient, which was indeterminate between plasmablastic lymphoma and plasmablastic myeloma.
abstract: Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) of bone is a rare neoplasm that shares many confusing cytomorphological and immunohistochemical features with plasmablastic plasma cell myeloma (PBPCM). A 47-year-old female patient presented with a bony swelling and bone pain in the left humerus for the last 6 months. On radiological examination (x-ray and computed tomography) it appeared to be a lytic lesion, and a pathological fracture was detected. The patient was HIV-negative. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) was done from the lesion, which was inconclusive. Subsequently, incisional biopsy was taken. Histopathological examination and immunohistochemistry confirmed a high-grade plasmablastic neoplasm, favoring a diagnosis of PBL. Most of the reported cases of PBL have occurred in HIV-positive patients, and the bone is a very rare site. PBL can be confused with PBPCM. A final diagnosis should be rendered only after thorough histopathological and immunohistochemical examination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Medical College, 88 College Street, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. dr_santoshkumar@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Santosh Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mondal
authors.forename: Himel
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bera
authors.forename: Pranab Kumar
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Biswas
authors.forename: Mamata Guha
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Mallick
mesh_terms: D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006811:Humerus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010954:Plasmacytoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011859:Radiography; D053668:Syndecan-1 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C508241:SDC1 protein, human; D053668:Syndecan-1