Pediatric Intra-Abdominal Lymphoma Mimicking Surgical Abdominal Mass: Imaging-Pathology Correlation in a 13-Year-Old Male

Abstract

“Pediatric intra-abdominal lymphoma is a rare malignancy, yet it remains a clinically valuable entity with vague symptomatology, resulting in delayed diagnosis”. Such early diagnosis is essential for timely therapy and better prognosis. The authors report a case of a 13-year-old boy who presented with constitutional symptoms and abdominal pathology. A Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) scan showed conglomerate nodal masses with vascular encasement and the typical sandwich sign. The positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) showed an “uptake” intensity relating to the metabolism, indicating an active lymphomatous component. Histopathology examination revealed lymphoma. The use of multimodality imaging, especially PET-CT is highlighted in such cases in the context of disease characterization, staging, and treatment planning. The report provides certain characteristic points that would aid clinicians in the early recognition of pediatric abdominal lymphoma based on imaging findings with various modalities.