Mortui vivos docent--the dead teach the living: 18-flurodeoxyglocose positron emission tomography-computed tomography findings in a case of intravascular B cell lymphoma.

ABSTRACT

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma is a rare and aggressive variant of diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Its atypical presentation often delays the diagnosis and due to its aggressive behavior, the diagnosis is made post-mortem in half of the cases. We present FDG PET/CT findings in a case of IVLCL. In our case, the report of the patient's bone marrow biopsy after death of the patient revealed the presence of IVLCL. After availability of final diagnosis, we reviewed the literature and a better explanation of the FDG PET/CT findings could be obtained. We describe this case, to call for heightened awareness in physicians for the rare but possible diagnosis of IVCLL, particularly in an elderly patient who presents with fever of unknown origin and demonstrates similar FDG PET/CT findings. Considering the characteristic scan findings described in our patient and other cases in literature, FDG PET/CT can be used in suspected cases of IVLCL for early diagnosis of this rapidly fatal malignancy.