A case of plasmablastic lymphoma of the liver without human immunodeficiency virus infection

Plasmablastic lymphoma(PBL)is a very rare B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder was with an aggressive clinical behavior that recently characterized by the World Health Organization.Although PBL is most commonly observed in the oral cavity of human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)-positive patients,it can also be observed at extra-oral sites in HIV-negative patients.Epstein-Barr virus(EBV)may be closely related the pathogenesis of PBL.PBL shows different clinicopathological characteristics between HIV-positive and-negative patients.Here,we report a case of PBL of the liver in a 79-yearold HIV-negative male.The patient died approximately1.5 mo after examination and autopsy showed that the main lesion was a very large liver mass.Histopathological examination of the excised lesion showed large-cell lymphoma with plasmacytic differentiation diffusely infiltrating the liver and involving the surrounding organs.The neoplastic cells were diffusely positive for CD30,EBV,Bob-1,and CD38.The autopsy findings suggested a diagnosis of PBL.To our knowledge,the present case appears to be the first report of PBL with initial presentation of the liver in a patient without HIV infection.