Extranodal lymphomas of head and neck with emphasis on NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type.

PURPOSE: To determine the occurrence, clinical course and outcome of our patients with natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL), nasal type. The nasal type of natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL), is rare in the European population but is more frequent in Asia, Central and South America where it accounts for 15-20% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL). This type of lymphoma is characterized by tissue necrosis and destruction of the nasal cavity and upper aero-digestive tract. The disease is closely associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and has an aggressive clinical course, poor clinical outcome and high resistance to chemotherapy.

PATIENTS: 63 patients with NHL were treated in our department between 2006 and 2011. Eleven patients were diagnosed with extranodal lymphoma, 6 in the area of head and neck. Three of them belonged to NKTCL, nasal type group (4.7%), 1 was diffuse large B cell lymphoma and 2 were marginal zone lymphomas.

CONCLUSION: Two out of 3 patients with nasal type NKTCL, had extremely aggressive disease resistant to applied chemotherapy (anthracycline containing regimen), while 1 patient remains in complete remission 6 years after diagnosis.