Association of a Giant Lymphoma Mass With Occupational Benzene Exposure

Benzene is a chemical widely used in industrial settings and known to have hematopoietic toxicity. Previous literature has been inconsistent regarding a direct association of benzene exposure with lymphoma. A young patient with a strong history of benzene exposure presented with a 17-cm chest wall lymphoma and purulent drainage from the mass. He underwent resection of the mass. Pathologic analysis revealed a high-grade diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The wound ultimately healed well and the patient received adjuvant chemotherapy. Though the overall literature has been inconsistent regarding the association of benzene with lymphoma, our report highlights the possibility that a very extensive exposure history may be a risk factor for the development of lymphoma.