Extranodal NK/T-Cell Lymphoma without Nasal Cavity Involvement Associated with Epstein-Barr Virus:AMultimodality-Based Diagnosis of Two Cases

Abstract

We report two cases of extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, in immunocompetent patients without nasal cavity involvement. In the two cases, the initial presumptive diagnosis was tuberculosis and there was a rapid dissemination of the tumor with short survival after the hospital admittance. An autopsy was performed showing infiltration in several organs including lymph nodes and mesenteric and retroperitoneal fat. Histological sections showed an angiocentric and angiodestructive growth pattern and the immunophenotype was CD45+, CD3+ (cytoplasmic), as well as Granzyme B+ and EBV+. However, CD56 expression was only positive in a case in which the molecular study showed T-cell gene rearrangement with monoclonal appearance and associated with hemophagocytic syndrome. These cases represent rare examples of NK/T-cell lymphoma disseminated outside the nasal cavity highly aggressive that lead to the rapid death of the patients.