Malignancy can present as acute liver failure – a case report of B-cell lymphoma with acute liver failure as its first presentation

Malignant infiltration of the liver is a rare cause of acute liver failure and is associated with an exceedingly high mortality rate. We describe the case of an elderly woman presenting with fulminant hepatitis and simultaneous type B lactic acidosis, with near-normal imaging findings, who was later...

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Main Authors: Catarina Melita, Joaquim Tinoco, Rita Theias Manso, Liliana Antunes, Mónica Palma Anselmo, Paulo Telles de Freitas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SMC MEDIA SRL 2025-03-01
Series:European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.ejcrim.com/index.php/EJCRIM/article/view/5236
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author Catarina Melita
Joaquim Tinoco
Rita Theias Manso
Liliana Antunes
Mónica Palma Anselmo
Paulo Telles de Freitas
author_facet Catarina Melita
Joaquim Tinoco
Rita Theias Manso
Liliana Antunes
Mónica Palma Anselmo
Paulo Telles de Freitas
author_sort Catarina Melita
collection DOAJ
description Malignant infiltration of the liver is a rare cause of acute liver failure and is associated with an exceedingly high mortality rate. We describe the case of an elderly woman presenting with fulminant hepatitis and simultaneous type B lactic acidosis, with near-normal imaging findings, who was later demonstrated to have non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The presence of acute liver failure, hepatomegaly, markedly elevated lactate dehydrogenase and/or lactic acidosis should raise suspicion for lymphoma infiltration of the liver and prompt liver biopsy early in the course of disease. We hope to raise awareness for this uncommon and elusive presentation of lymphoma, in the hope that it will help achieve earlier diagnoses and improvements in patient survival.
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issn 2284-2594
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher SMC MEDIA SRL
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series European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine
spelling doaj-art-303fae2834224089bcd96e67fbfebd8e2025-08-20T03:04:26ZengSMC MEDIA SRLEuropean Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine2284-25942025-03-0110.12890/2025_0052364771Malignancy can present as acute liver failure – a case report of B-cell lymphoma with acute liver failure as its first presentationCatarina Melita0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7445-7861Joaquim Tinoco1Rita Theias Manso2Liliana Antunes3Mónica Palma Anselmo4Paulo Telles de Freitas5Internal Medicine Department 2, Hospital Prof. Doutor Fernando Fonseca, Amadora, PortugalSurgical Pathology Department, Hospital Prof. Doutor Fernando Fonseca, Amadora, PortugalSurgical Pathology Department, Hospital Prof. Doutor Fernando Fonseca, Amadora, PortugalIntensive Care Department, Hospital Prof. Doutor Fernando Fonseca, Amadora, PortugalIntensive Care Department, Hospital Prof. Doutor Fernando Fonseca, Amadora, PortugalIntensive Care Department, Hospital Prof. Doutor Fernando Fonseca, Amadora, PortugalMalignant infiltration of the liver is a rare cause of acute liver failure and is associated with an exceedingly high mortality rate. We describe the case of an elderly woman presenting with fulminant hepatitis and simultaneous type B lactic acidosis, with near-normal imaging findings, who was later demonstrated to have non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The presence of acute liver failure, hepatomegaly, markedly elevated lactate dehydrogenase and/or lactic acidosis should raise suspicion for lymphoma infiltration of the liver and prompt liver biopsy early in the course of disease. We hope to raise awareness for this uncommon and elusive presentation of lymphoma, in the hope that it will help achieve earlier diagnoses and improvements in patient survival.https://www.ejcrim.com/index.php/EJCRIM/article/view/5236acute liver failurelactic acidosisnon-hodgkin lymphomafulminant hepatitishepatic malignant infiltration
spellingShingle Catarina Melita
Joaquim Tinoco
Rita Theias Manso
Liliana Antunes
Mónica Palma Anselmo
Paulo Telles de Freitas
Malignancy can present as acute liver failure – a case report of B-cell lymphoma with acute liver failure as its first presentation
European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine
acute liver failure
lactic acidosis
non-hodgkin lymphoma
fulminant hepatitis
hepatic malignant infiltration
title Malignancy can present as acute liver failure – a case report of B-cell lymphoma with acute liver failure as its first presentation
title_full Malignancy can present as acute liver failure – a case report of B-cell lymphoma with acute liver failure as its first presentation
title_fullStr Malignancy can present as acute liver failure – a case report of B-cell lymphoma with acute liver failure as its first presentation
title_full_unstemmed Malignancy can present as acute liver failure – a case report of B-cell lymphoma with acute liver failure as its first presentation
title_short Malignancy can present as acute liver failure – a case report of B-cell lymphoma with acute liver failure as its first presentation
title_sort malignancy can present as acute liver failure a case report of b cell lymphoma with acute liver failure as its first presentation
topic acute liver failure
lactic acidosis
non-hodgkin lymphoma
fulminant hepatitis
hepatic malignant infiltration
url https://www.ejcrim.com/index.php/EJCRIM/article/view/5236
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