Type II enteropathy-associated T cell lymphoma in the duodenum: A rare case report

INTRODUCTION: Enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (EATL) is a very rare form of lymphoma in the gastrointestinal tract. The proximal jejunum and ileum are the most common sites of EATL, whereas EATL rarely arises in the duodenum, and EATL involving metastasis of the bilateral ovaries is even rarer. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 43-year-old female suffered from upper abdominal pain and weight loss for 3 months. DIAGNOSIS: Type II EATL. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was initially treated with chemotherapies, including 4 cycles of the CHOP-E and 2 cycles of the DHAP+ chidamide chemotherapy regimens. However, the patient did not respond well to chemotherapy. Surgical treatment of the duodenal obstruction, with perforation of small intestine and the duodenum, was performed successively. OUTCOMES: The patient died of septic shock only 1 day after the surgery for the second perforation. Her overall survival was 11 months from the time of initial diagnosis. CONCLUSION: This case suggests that EALT is highly invasive and its clinical course is very aggressive. Intestinal perforation, intestinal obstruction, or involvement of extraintestinal organs may occur in EALT patients. Additionally, EALT patients respond poorly to chemotherapy and have an extremely unfavorable prognosis.