Primary nasal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with synchronous pulmonary involvement: A case report

RATIONALE: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most commonly occurring type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which may be found at various extranodal sites. The nose is not a common site for DLBCL as compared with natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, and synchronous pulmonary involvement is even rarer. We report a case of primary nasal DLBCL who presented with a mass in the left lower lobe, mimicking primary lung carcinoma. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 62-year-old Chinese female visited the Ear-Nose-Throat Department of our hospital with nasal congestion and rhinorrhea for 2 months. DIAGNOSIS: Computed tomography scan revealed a mass with soft tissue density in the left vestibule and nasal cavity. Histopathological examination revealed a large number of lymphoma cells, and immunohistochemistry confirmed the diagnosis of DLBCL. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was treated with 6 cycles of R-CHOP (cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, prednisone, and rituximab). OUTCOMES: The treatment was well tolerated and led to complete remission for the patient. There was no sign of relapse over the 3-year close follow-up LESSONS: DLBCL can be present at various extranodal sites and clinicians irrespective of their specialty must be vigilant for the synchronous mode of presentation of such lesions. Immunohistochemical techniques play a vital role in the diagnosis, because clinical characteristics may be misleading.