The Diagnostic Dilemma of Splenic Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Splenic Abscess: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is a lymphoproliferative disorder that principally displays lymph node involvement but can also spread to extranodal sites such as the spleen. Primary splenic NHL arises in the spleen and, due to its atypical presentation, can sometimes present similarly to other splenic conditions. This review aims to highlight how primary splenic NHL can be effectively differentiated from other splenic conditions, such as splenic abscesses. PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, Google, and Google Scholar were used to identify articles mainly focused on splenic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and splenic abscess. The search was limited to articles published from January 2005 to November 2022. Of the 229 total articles amassed, only 34 were selected and narratively reviewed. From a thorough review of the current literature, it is evident that splenic NHL displays a similar clinical picture to other splenic conditions, namely splenic abscesses. One cannot easily differentiate between the two conditions, both clinically and via diagnostic imaging. Lymphadenopathy, a hallmark sign of nodal NHL, may or may not be present in splenic NHL. Ultimately, splenectomy with biopsy and immunohistochemical staining (IHC) may be required to confirm the diagnosis. In cases of suspected splenic NHL or splenic abscess with little-to-no symptomatic improvement after medication administration, splenectomy followed by histopathological examination may be required for a definitive diagnosis and proper treatment.

Keywords: extra-nodal; lymphadenopathy; primary non-hodgkin’s lymphoma; splenic abscess; total splenectomy.

Figure 1. Flow chart of literature search.