Clinical features, natural history and outcomes of pseudolymphoma of liver: A case-series and systematic review

Abstract

BackgroundPseudolymphoma is a rare, benign, nonspecific condition that forms a mass-like lesion characterized by the proliferation of non-neoplastic lymphocytes. Lacking of specific clinical symptoms, serological markers, and imaging features, the diagnosis is difficult. We reporte five cases of hepatic pseudolymphoma and provide a systematic review of existing literatures to improve our understanding of this rare liver disease. MethodsWe followed-up five cases of hepatic pseudolymphoma in West China Hospital from January 2002 to January 2022. We also summarized the cases of hepatic pseudolymphoma from January 1981 to December 2021 through the PubMed database and comprehensively analyzed the characteristics of the cases. ResultsThe pathologic features of the five cases were characterized by benign lymphoid tissue hyperplasia, lymphoid follicle formation, and a polarized germinal center. Immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and gene rearrangement revealed non-malignant lymphoma. Besides, a total of 116 cases have been reported in the PubMed database from 1981 to 2021. The incidence of hepatic pseudolymphoma is higher in middle-aged and elderly women and has been reported more frequently in Asia. All cases were pathologically diagnosed, among which 85.95% of the patients were treated by surgery. ConclusionsHepatic pseudolymphoma is an extremely rare benign disease, mainly in middle-aged and elderly women. Without distinctive clinical and imaging characteristics, pathological diagnosis is the highly reliable method at present. Thus, in the absence of risk factors for a primary liver tumor or metastatic tumor in middle-aged and elderly women, the possibility of pseudolymphoma should be considered to avoid extensive treatments.