Massive ascites as the initial manifestation of mantle cell lymphoma: a challenge for the gastroenterologist.
Involvement of the serosa may be the presenting feature in a wide and complex variety of lymphoproliferative diseases, with differing clinical outcomes covering a spectrum of benign and malignant conditions. Effusions involving peritoneal and pericardial cavities are uncommon during the course of hematological malignancies. Obstructive and/or infiltrative tumor mass or vascular leakage due to stimulation by vascular endothelial growth factor contribute to the pathogenesis. In addition to clinical findings, cytomorphology and flow cytometric immunophenotyping of the serosal fluid yield valuable information in the differential diagnosis of lymphocytic infiltrates. Herein, we describe the case of primary mantle cell lymphoma in a 75-year-old man presenting with abdominal fullness and weight loss, suggesting a gastrointestinal pathology.
Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Istanbul University Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey.
Ipek
I
Yonal
Asli
A
Ciftcibasi
Suut
S
Gokturk
Mustafa Nuri
MN
Yenerel
Filiz
F
Akyuz
Cetin
C
Karaca
Kadir
K
Demir
Fatih
F
Besisik
Sevgi
S
Kalayoglu-Besisik
Cytomorphology; Effusions involving peritoneal and pericardial cavities; Flow cytometric immunophenotyping; Lymphoproliferative diseases; Mantle cell lymphoma