Plasmacytic Pleural Effusion as a Major Presentation of Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma: A Case Report

Borui Li; Lin Nong; Jianhua Zhang; Wensheng Wang; Qian Wang; Yang Zhang; Shaomin Ren; Mangju Wang

doi:10.3390/curroncol29100603

Plasmacytic Pleural Effusion as a Major Presentation of Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma: A Case Report

Curr Oncol. 2022 Oct 13;29(10):7637-7644. doi: 10.3390/curroncol29100603.

Authors

Borui Li¹, Lin Nong², Jianhua Zhang³, Wensheng Wang¹, Qian Wang¹, Yang Zhang¹, Shaomin Ren¹, Mangju Wang¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Hematology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China.
² Department of Pathology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China.
³ Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China.

Abstract

Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma is one of the peripheral T-cell lymphomas. Reactive plasma cells can occasionally be observed in AITL patients' peripheral blood and bone marrow. Plasmacytic pleural effusion as the presentation of AITL has not been reported before. The mechanisms of plasmacytic pleural effusion are not fully understood. Here we present an 82-year-old male with exuberant plasma cells in his pleural effusion in addition to his peripheral blood and bone marrow aspiration. By presenting this case, we would like to expand the spectrum of disease presentations in AITL and discuss the significance of flow cytometry in the differential diagnosis of pleural effusion. To our knowledge, this is the first case report in the literature, which will be crucial to assist the hematopathologist in accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords: angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma; flow cytometry; plasmacytic pleural effusion; reactive plasmacytosis.

Publication types

Case Reports
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged, 80 and over
Diagnosis, Differential
Humans
Immunoblastic Lymphadenopathy* / complications
Immunoblastic Lymphadenopathy* / diagnosis
Lymphoma, T-Cell, Peripheral* / diagnosis
Lymphoma, T-Cell, Peripheral* / pathology
Male
Plasma Cells / pathology
Pleural Effusion* / diagnosis
Pleural Effusion* / etiology
Pleural Effusion* / pathology

Grants and funding

We would like to acknowledge the funding from Peking University Medicine Seed Fund for Interdisciplinary Research and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [number BMU2018ME002].