B-ENT

Young immunocompetent patient with oropharyngeal plasmablastic lymphoma

1.

Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

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Departments of Haematology

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Departments of Pathology

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Departments of Radiology

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Departments of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium

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Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, AZ Klina, Brasschaat, Belgium.

B-ENT 2018; 14: 151-155
Read: 774 Downloads: 613 Published: 28 January 2020

Young immunocompetent patient with oropharyngeal plasmablastic lymphoma. Background: Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is a rare tumour that most commonly occurs in the oral cavity in immunocompromised patients.

Case report: A 35-year-old man presented with symptoms suggesting obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). Fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopy, contrast-enhanced computed tomography, and drug-induced sleep endoscopy revealed a mass in the oropharynx that completely obstructed the upper airway. Direct laryngoscopy was performed, and the lesion was excised using a CO2 laser. Anatomopathological examination and flow cytometric differentiation established a diagnosis of plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL). Postoperative chemotherapy resulted in complete response.

Conclusions: Extra-oral PBL is very rare. This is the first published report of oropharyngeal PBL in an immunocompetent patient. This case emphasizes the importance of considering PBL as a differential diagnosis when an oropharyngeal tumour is present. Clinical ENT examination should include fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopy to detect any head and neck mass that may cause OSAS-related symptoms.

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EISSN 2684-4907