IgG4-Related Disease of the Gastrointestinal Tract: A 21st Century Chameleon

2015 ◽  
Vol 139 (6) ◽  
pp. 742-749 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikram Deshpande

Context Immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)–related disease is a systemic fibroinflammatory disease capable of affecting virtually any organ. Although the pancreas and hepatobiliary system are commonly affected, involvement of the tubular gut is unusual. The pancreatic manifestations of this disease (autoimmune pancreatitis) often mimic pancreatic carcinoma, whereas the hepatobiliary manifestations are mistaken for cholangiocarcinoma or primary sclerosing cholangitis. The characteristic histologic features include a dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate, storiform-type fibrosis, and obliterative phlebitis. An increase in IgG4+ plasma cells and an IgG4 to IgG ratio of more than 40% are considered obligatory components of the diagnostic algorithm. Objective To review the challenges associated with the diagnosis of IgG4-related disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Data Sources A review of pertinent literature, along with the author's personal experience, based on institutional and consultation materials. Conclusion The complete spectrum of histologic changes is seldom captured in a biopsy specimen, and thus, the histopathology findings are best interpreted within the overall clinical context. Increased IgG4+ plasma cells are identified in a variety of benign and malignant diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Rheumatology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii123-iii131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Maritati ◽  
Francesco Peyronel ◽  
Augusto Vaglio

Abstract IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a recently recognized fibro-inflammatory disorder that can affect almost any organ. Common presentations include major salivary and lacrimal gland enlargement, orbital disease, autoimmune pancreatitis, retroperitoneal fibrosis and tubulointerstitial nephritis. The main histopathological features are a dense, polyclonal, lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate rich in IgG4+ plasma cells, storiform fibrosis and obliterative phlebitis. The precise pathogenic mechanisms of IgG4-RD are still unclear. CD4+ T and B cells, including IgG4-expressing plasmablasts, constitute the major inflammatory cell populations and are believed to cause organ damage and tissue fibrosis. The diagnosis of the disease may be challenging and should be based on specific histopathological findings, typical laboratory and radiological aspects and an appropriate clinical context. The first-line treatment of IgG4-RD is based on glucocorticoids, which are usually efficacious. However, B cell depletion induced by rituximab has also been found to induce remission in steroid-resistant disease or has been used as steroid-sparing agent for relapsing disease. This review provides an update on clinical and therapeutic aspects of IgG4-RD.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanying Liu ◽  
Fei Yang ◽  
Xiying Chi ◽  
Yuxin Zhang ◽  
Jiangnan Fu ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective The growing utilization of needle biopsy has challenged the current pathology consensus of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD). The aims of this study were to identify the histological characteristics of needle biopsy and surgical specimens and evaluate the ability of needle biopsy in histological diagnosis of IgG4-RD. Methods Biopsies from patients who were referred to as IgG4-RD by the 2019 ACR/EULAR IgG4-RD classification criteria in Peking University People’s Hospital from 2012 to 2019 were re-evaluated. Typical histological features and diagnostic categories were compared between needle biopsy and surgical biopsy. Results In total, 69 patients met the 2019 ACR/EULAR classification criteria and 72 biopsies of them were re-evaluated. All cases showed lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate, while storiform fibrosis and obliterative phlebitis were only present in 35 (48.6%) and 23 (31.9%) specimens, respectively. Storiform fibrosis was more likely to be seen in retroperitoneum lesion (P = 0.033). Surgical biopsy showed significantly higher IgG4+ plasma cells/high-power field (IgG4/HPF) count (P < 0.01) and higher proportion of IgG4/HPF > 10 (P < 0.01). No significant difference was observed with regard to the ratio of IgG4+ plasma cells/IgG+ plasma cells (IgG4/IgG) (P = 0.399), storiform fibrosis (P = 0.739), and obliterative phletibis (P = 0.153). According to the 2011 comprehensive diagnostic criteria, patients who performed a needle biopsy were less likely to be probable IgG4-RD (P = 0.045). Based on the 2011 pathology consensus, needle biopsy was less likely to be diagnosed as IgG4-RD (P < 0.01), especially to be highly suggestive IgG4-RD (P < 0.01). Only 1/18 (5.6%) needle salivary specimens fulfilled the cutoff of IgG4/HPF > 100, which was significantly less than 15/23 (65.2%) of surgical ones (P < 0.01). Conclusions Needle biopsy shows an inferiority in detecting IgG4/HPF count but not in IgG4/IgG ratio, storiform fibrosis, and obliterative phlebitis. Compared with surgical samples, needle biopsy is less likely to obtain a histological diagnosis of IgG4-RD. A different IgG4/HPF threshold for needle biopsy of the salivary glands may be considered.


2014 ◽  
Vol 138 (6) ◽  
pp. 833-836 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nimesh R. Patel ◽  
Mary L. Anzalone ◽  
L. Maximilian Buja ◽  
M. Tarek Elghetany

Immunoglobulin G4–related disease (IgG4-RD) is a systemic disorder characterized by multiorgan fibrosis with IgG4-producing plasma cells, increased IgG4 serum concentration, and responsiveness to steroid therapy. Involvement of the pancreas, salivary glands, orbit, aorta, and other sites has been well documented in the literature; however, there have been limited reports of cases involving the coronary arteries. We report the case of a 53-year-old Hispanic man who was brought to the emergency center and diagnosed with sudden cardiac death. Autopsy was subsequently performed, revealing multiorgan involvement by IgG4-RD, including involvement of the coronary arteries. The inflammation and fibrosis, in combination with concomitant atherosclerotic disease, resulted in severe stenosis of the coronary arteries. Two of the coronary arteries were further occluded by thrombosis. These factors led to cardiac hypoperfusion, myocardial infarction and, ultimately, sudden cardiac death. Fatal involvement of the coronary arteries has not been previously reported, raising a new concern for a severe complication of IgG4-RD.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (02) ◽  
pp. 202-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Casal Moura ◽  
Ria Gripaldo ◽  
Misbah Baqir ◽  
Jay H. Ryu

AbstractImmunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a systemic fibroinflammatory disorder that has been recognized to involve virtually any organ in the body and typically manifests mass-like lesions (tumefactive). Although initial reports of this disease (autoimmune pancreatitis [AIP]) were described in the Japanese population, it has since been reported worldwide. It is most commonly seen in adults of middle age or older, more often men than women. The pathogenesis of IgG4-RD is largely unknown, but genetic factors, microorganisms, and autoimmunity are thought to play important roles. Serum IgG4 concentration is elevated in the majority of patients with IgG4-RD but is a nonspecific finding. Characteristic histopathologic features include dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate, fibrosis (often in storiform pattern), and obliterative phlebitis. Lung involvement in IgG4-RD was first reported in 2004 in two patients with AIP and coexisting interstitial lung disease. Since then, a wide spectrum of intrathoracic involvement has been reported and includes not only parenchymal lung diseases but also pleural, airway, vascular, and mediastinal lesions. Thoracic involvement in IgG4-RD is often found incidentally during the workup of extrathoracic lesions but can sometimes be the presenting abnormality. The diagnosis of IgG4-RD requires correlation of clinical, laboratory, imaging, and histopathologic features. Glucocorticoids are the first-line therapy but other options including B cell depletion are being investigated. IgG4-RD is generally associated with an indolent clinical course and most patients improve with glucocorticoid therapy.


2018 ◽  
Vol 142 (12) ◽  
pp. 1560-1563
Author(s):  
Janice Ahn ◽  
Melina Flanagan

Eosinophilic angiocentric fibrosis is a rare indolent lesion of the head and neck region that has characteristic histologic findings of onionskin fibrosis and prominent eosinophils. Its pathogenesis has been poorly understood and has been most commonly attributed to hypersensitivity or previous trauma. Recently, the lesion has been included in the spectrum of immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)–related disease. However, few of the existing cases of eosinophilic angiocentric fibrosis have been evaluated for IgG4+ and IgG+ plasma cells. Therefore, we provide an update on the clinical and histologic features of eosinophilic angiocentric fibrosis to increase awareness of the entity and encourage its further characterization as an IgG4-related disease.


2020 ◽  
Vol 80 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Benjamin Enrique Montaño Roca ◽  
Davide Vanacore ◽  
Gustavo Gallegos Sánchez ◽  
César Eduardo Rosales Velázquez ◽  
Guillermo Enrique Ruvalcaba Oceguera ◽  
...  

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a clinical entity characterized by elevated serum IgG4 and tumor-like inflammation, with tissue infiltration by IgG4 and plasma cells. IgG4-RD is rare, but clinically significant, and its urologic manifestations have been reported in the literature. The present review covers a broad spectrum, describing the pathologies related to the area of urology. In 2003, Terumi Kamisawa was the first to recognize IgG4-RD, characterized by multiorgan lesions in patients with autoimmune pancreatitis and classified as an inflammatory and fibrotic entity with a dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate, positive for  IgG4.(1–3) It presents in middle-aged patients, between 59-68 years of age, with no clear distribution by sex, (4–6) and has different clinical presentations. The main urologic manifestations are inflammatory pseudotumors and lower urinary tract symptoms. The present article offers a clear, general overview of the disease, encompassing its pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment, from the perspective of urology. 


2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (16) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Sian Yik Lim ◽  
Deepa Panikkath

Intrathoracic involvement with IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is frequently overlooked in IgG4-related disease patients. In this article we review the intrathoracic findings of IgG4-RD which are variable and protean. IgG4-related disease has been reported to affect the lung parenchyma, pleura, mediastinal/hilar lymph nodes, vasculature, and pericardium within the thorax. Mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy is the most common intrathoracic manifestation of IgG4-RD. Four main patterns of pulmonary disease have been described, including the solid nodular type, the bronchovascular type, the alveolar interstitial type, and the round shaped ground glass type. When feasible, a biopsy should be obtained to confirm the diagnosis. Most lesions show characteristic pathologic findings of IgG4-RD: dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate, storiform fibrosis, and obliterative phlebitis. While this helps establish the diagnosis, the interpretation of pathology findings in the clinical context is key in making an accurate diagnosis. Mimickers of IgG4-RD should be ruled out, before making a diagnosis. The intrathoracic findings of IgG4-RD can be treated effectively with prednisone, but may require additional immunosuppressive therapies, including rituximab.


2021 ◽  
Vol 126 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Helya Hashemi ◽  
Andreas Thor ◽  
Erik Hellbacher ◽  
Marie Carlson ◽  
Miklós Gulyás ◽  
...  

Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is an immune-mediated fibroinflammatory condition that can affect multiple organs. IgG4-RD may show a variety of initial symptoms. In the oral mucosa, lesions present as inflammatory fibrosis with a large number of IgG4-positive plasma cells. Evaluating treatment is a well-known problem in IgG4-RD due to the absence of an established assessment system. There are difficulties in defining the severity of the disease, which is why treatment is primarily based on its clinical manifestations. We present a case report of localized IgG4-RD with ulcerative and proliferative manifestations on the tongue, which clinically mimicked oral squamous cell carcinoma. A tumor-like lesion on the tongue can indicate something else other than the malignant or reactive changes commonly found in the oral mucosa. Multiple differential diagnoses of these atypical oral lesions, including localized IgG4-RD, should be considered.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Peikert ◽  
Bijayee Shrestha ◽  
Marie Christine Aubry ◽  
Thomas V. Colby ◽  
Jay H. Ryu ◽  
...  

Fibrosing mediastinitis (FM) and IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) are two fibroinflammatory disorders with potentially overlapping clinical and radiological features. In this paper, we looked for histopathologic features of IgG4-RD and enumerated infiltrating IgG4-positive plasma cells within mediastinal tissue biopsies from FM patients. We identified 15 consecutive FM surgical mediastinal tissue biopsies between 1985 and 2006. All patients satisfied the clinical and radiological diagnostic criteria for FM. All patients had either serological or radiological evidence of prior histoplasmosis or granulomatous disease, respectively. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections of all patients were stained for H&E, IgG, and IgG4. Three samples met the predefined diagnostic criteria for IgG4-RD. In addition, characteristic histopathologic changes of IgG4-RD in the absence of diagnostic numbers of tissue infiltrating IgG4-positive plasma cells were seen in a number of additional cases (storiform cell-rich fibrosis in 11 cases, lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate in 7 cases, and obliterative phlebitis/arteritis in 2 cases). We conclude that up to one-third of histoplasmosis or granulomatous-disease-associated FM cases demonstrate histopathological features of IgG4-RD spectrum. Whether these changes occur as the host immune response against Histoplasma or represent a manifestation of IgG4-RD remains to be determined. Studies to prospectively identify these cases and evaluate their therapeutic responses to glucocorticoids and/or other immunosuppressive agents such as rituximab are warranted.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Iuri Usêda Santana ◽  
Emanuela Pimenta da Fonseca ◽  
Mittermayer Barreto Santiago

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a recently recognized group of conditions, characterized by tumor-like swelling of involved organs, lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate rich in IgG4-positive plasma cells, variable degrees of fibrosis, and elevated serum IgG4 concentrations. Currently IgG4-RD is recognized as a systemic condition that can affect several organs and tissues. Herein we report the case of a 34-year-old male patient who was admitted to our hospital with diffuse abdominal pain, weight loss, and painful stiffness in his neck. He had a history of tumoral mass of the left maxillary region, right palpebral ptosis with protrusion of the eyeball, and chronic dry cough for about 6 years. Laboratory tests revealed polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia and increased serum IgG4 levels. Immunohistochemical staining of the maxillary biopsy was compatible with IgG4-RD. He had an excellent response to corticosteroid therapy. This case highlights that IgG4-RD should be included in the differential diagnosis with multisystem diseases.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document