Cardiac tamponade as an initial atypical presentation of T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma in a 17-year-old adolescent: a case report.

BACKGROUND

T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma is a type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which usually affects adolescents and young adults. The usual presentation is characterized by B symptoms and adenopathy associated with a mediastinal mass. Here we describe a rare case of T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma in an adolescent, presenting as cardiac tamponade.

CASE PRESENTATION: The patient is a 17-year-old Moroccan adolescent with no medical history who presented with dyspnea. Echocardiography showed a large pericardial effusion, collapse of the right cavities, and noncompressible dilatation of the inferior vena cava. This tamponade picture required an emergency pericardiocentesis, and the thoracic computed tomography scan showed a mediastinal mass of 132 × 105 mm. Pleuropericardial biopsy made the diagnosis of certainty of T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma. The complementary management consisted of a combination of chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Life-threatening emergency, cardiac tamponade is a rare presentation of T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma. Management consisted of pericardiocentesis, complemented by combination chemotherapy.