Primary pulmonary extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma of an elderly adult: a case report and literature review

Extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTCL), nasal type, is rare and aggressive and often involves the nose, nasopharynx, and upper aerodigestive tract. The non-nasal type can affect the skin, salivary glands, gut, testes, brain, salivary glands, and other sites. Primary ENKTCL of the lung is rare. Here, we report a 68-year-old non-smoking female who presented with fever, dry cough, and night sweats. The chest image showed lung consolidation in the right lower lung field. Pulmonary biopsy showed diffuse abnormal lymphocyte infiltrate in the necrotic exudate. Immunohistochemical data indicated that the tumour cells were positive for CD56, granzyme B, CD3, and TIA. Using in situ hybridization, Epstein–Barr virus-encoded ribonucleic acid (EBER) was detected. There was no evidence to indicate extrathoracic lymphoma involvement. Primary pulmonary ENKTCL was therefore diagnosed. The patient underwent chemotherapy using the P-GEMOX regimen (pegaspargase, gemcitabine, and oxaliplatin) and is still alive.