Primary malignant lymphoma of the saphenous vein

We herein present a case of primary malignant lymphoma of the saphenous vein. A 72-year-old man suffered from tumor and pain of the anteromedial aspect of the left upper thigh. Local thigh ultrasound scanning and computed tomography revealed a mass within the superior third of the internal saphenous vein. The patient underwent surgical exploration and removal of the saphenous vein between the groin and the upper third of the leg. The resected vessel was surrounded and infiltrated by a whitish, rubbery tissue all along its course. The histologic findings were consistent with high-grade, diffuse, large-cell lymphoma of peripheral B lymphocyte origin, primarily arising in the saphenous vein. Antiactin monoclonal antibodies depicted the venous vascular wall infiltrated by tumor cells, confirming the lymphomatous localization within the saphenous vein. The patient is now alive and free of tumor 10 months after the operation. (J Vasc Surg 2002;35:168-71.)