Plasmablastic lymphoma mimicking carcinomatosis: A case report and review of the literature

First identified as a distinct disease entity in HIV‐positive patients, plasmablastic lymphoma is a rare aggressive disease which arises predominantly in men and is associated with immunodeficiency of all causes. Although its exact etiology is poorly understood, Epstein–Barr virus infection and MYC gene aberrations have been implicated in its development in both HIV‐positive and HIV‐negative patients. The disease typically involves extranodal sites with a predilection for the oral cavity but may occur in other locations. Here we present a case of plasmablastic lymphoma diffusely involving the omentum and peritoneal cavity of an immunocompetent woman, clinically mimicking an ovarian carcinomatosis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case in which plasmablastic lymphoma has presented as peritoneal lymphomatosis. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2017;45:243–246. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.