Table 5

Conditions that may be characterised by prominence of tissue IgG4+ plasma cells in the absence of IgG4-RD

SiteConditionMean IgG4+ plasma cell countMean IgG4+ to total IgG+ plasma cell ratio
Strehl et al 28
 Oral cavity

  • Epulis plasmacellularis

  • Radicular cyst

690.32
 ColonDiverticulitis190.11
 SynoviumRheumatoid arthritis550.4
 SkinInflammatory skin conditions260.21
 VariousCarcinoma-associated inflammatory response (esp. squamous cell carcinoma)340.23
Other studies
 Lymph nodes* 29

  • Castleman's disease

  • Follicular hyperplasia

  • Interfollicular plasmacytosis

  • 5

  • 8

  • 27

  • 0.05

  • 0.04

  • 0.08

 ColonInflammatory bowel disease30
 Lung31 Rosai–Dorfman disease
 Aorta32 Periaortitis
 Various

  • Carcinoma, for example, pancreatic† 33

  • Lymphoma especially low-grade marginal zone and follicular‡ 27

10

  • ↵* This study found that when using a minimum cut-off of 50 IgG4+ plasma cells per HPF and an IgG4+ to total IgG plasma cell ratio of 0.4, only one case (interfollicular plasmacytosis) remained positive for increased tissue IgG4+ plasma cell numbers and this patient had a history of Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

  • ↵† This study found 10 IgG4+ plasma cells per HPF in one of 20 cases of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

  • ↵‡ Low-grade lymphoma may develop on the background of IgG4-RD.

  • HPF, high power microscope field; IgG4-RD, immunoglobulin G subclass 4-related disease.