Transformation of follicular lymphoma in the retroperitoneal muscles demonstrated by CT-guided needle biopsy of FDG-avid lesions; case series

We herein report two cases of relapsed follicular lymphoma (FL) with transformation in the retroperitoneal muscles. Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) combined with computed tomography (CT) showed high uptakes in the retroperitoneal muscles. We considered excisional biopsy at first, since it is definitely the most reliable means to obtain histological diagnosis. However, excisional biopsy of the retroperitoneal muscles is challenging for anatomical reasons. Moreover, our patients were kept under poor performance status. Thus, CT-guided percutaneous needle biopsy of FDG-avid retroperitoneal muscles was performed. Histopathological examination of the biopsied specimens demonstrated proliferation of transformed large B cells in both cases. Sheets of large B cells were also recorded in one case. CT-guided needle biopsy is less prioritized than excisional biopsy because of limited information on tissue architecture and increasingly complicated WHO classification. Our series indicate that image-guided needle biopsy of FDG-avid lesions is sufficient for the diagnosis of transformation. Higher priority should be given to this method in the setting of transformed aggressive lymphoma.