A Common Symptom With an Uncommon Diagnosis: A Case of Primary Esophageal Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma

TL;DR

An 85-year-old woman with weight loss and difficulty swallowing was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma in her esophagus.

Contribution

This case report highlights a rare diagnosis of primary esophageal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Findings

The patient presented with weight loss and dysphagia, leading to the discovery of an esophageal mass.

Pathology confirmed the diagnosis of primary esophageal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

The diagnosis was supported by morphologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular findings.

Abstract

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Although it can have gastrointestinal involvement, there are limited recorded cases that show primary esophageal DLBCL. This report discusses the case of an 85-year-old female who initially presented with weight loss associated with dysphagia and was later diagnosed with an esophageal mass by endoscopy. Pathology showed large, atypical lymphocytes, and the final morphologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular findings were most consistent with a diagnosis of primary esophageal DLBCL.

Figures