A Case of Primary Follicular Lymphoma of the Gallbladder

Abstract

We report a case of primary follicular lymphoma of the gallbladder diagnosed after cholecystectomy for a gallbladder tumor. The patient was a 78-year-old male. A gallbladder tumor was incidentally detected on a follow-up CT after laparoscopic left hemicolectomy for descending colon cancer, and he was referred to our hospital for further examination and treatment. The preoperative images revealed a tumor with a diameter of 17mm in the gallbladder, and laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Histopathological examination of the 18×15mm white solid tumor found at the gallbladder body showed follicular proliferation of lymphocytes, with immunostaining positive for CD10, CD20, and Bcl-2. Since no apparent tumor was detected in other sites including bone marrow, he was diagnosed with as primary follicular lymphoma of the gallbladder. Malignant lymphoma originating from the gallbladder is extremely rare. We report this case with a review of the literature.