# Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Presenting With Isolated Splenomegaly in a 42-Year-Old Female: A Rare Incidence of Primary Splenic Involvement

**Authors:** Meena LN, Steve Thomas, Sri Gayathri Shanmugam

PMC · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.101438 · Cureus · 2026-01-13

## TL;DR

A 42-year-old woman with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma presented only with an enlarged spleen, highlighting the importance of splenectomy for both diagnosis and treatment.

## Contribution

This case highlights the rare presentation of DLBCL with isolated splenomegaly and the diagnostic and therapeutic role of splenectomy.

## Key findings

- DLBCL can present with isolated splenomegaly without typical lymphoma symptoms.
- Splenectomy provided both diagnostic confirmation and therapeutic benefit in this case.
- R-CHOP chemotherapy resulted in a complete metabolic response with no recurrence.

## Abstract

Primary splenic involvement by diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is uncommon and may present with nonspecific clinical features, making diagnosis challenging. We report the case of a 42-year-old female who presented with gradually increasing abdominal distension and weight loss over three months, without fever, night sweats, or lymphadenopathy. Examination revealed massive splenomegaly, while routine laboratory tests were unremarkable. Ultrasound and CT imaging demonstrated isolated splenomegaly, and PET-CT showed increased metabolic activity confined to the spleen. Bone marrow biopsy did not reveal any diagnostic abnormalities. The patient underwent diagnostic splenectomy, and histopathology confirmed DLBCL of the non-germinal center B-cell subtype. Immunohistochemistry was positive for CD45, CD20, BCL2, and MUM1, with a Ki-67 index of 60%. She received six cycles of R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) chemotherapy, which she tolerated well. Post-treatment PET-CT revealed a complete metabolic response, and subsequent follow-up has shown no evidence of disease recurrence. This report illustrates that isolated splenomegaly can be the first and only manifestation of DLBCL and emphasizes the role of splenectomy as both a diagnostic and therapeutic option in carefully selected patients.

## Linked entities

- **Chemicals:** cyclophosphamide (PubChem CID 2907), doxorubicin (PubChem CID 31703), vincristine (PubChem CID 5978), prednisone (PubChem CID 5865)
- **Diseases:** diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (MONDO:0018905), DLBCL (MONDO:0018905)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** PWWP3A (PWWP domain containing 3A, DNA repair factor) [NCBI Gene 84939] {aka EXPAND1, HSPC211, MUM-1, MUM1}, PTPRC (protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type C) [NCBI Gene 5788] {aka B220, CD45, CD45R, GP180, IMD105, L-CA}, KRT20 (keratin 20) [NCBI Gene 54474] {aka CD20, CK-20, CK20, K20, KRT21}, BCL2 (BCL2 apoptosis regulator) [NCBI Gene 596] {aka Bcl-2, PPP1R50}
- **Diseases:** fever (MESH:D005334), lymphadenopathy (MESH:D008206), Splenomegaly (MESH:D013163), DLBCL (MESH:D016403), Splenic Involvement (MESH:D013158), abdominal distension (MESH:D000007), weight loss (MESH:D015431)
- **Chemicals:** R-CHOP (-)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Full text

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## Figures

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## References

19 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12896724/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12896724