Primary ocular natural killer/T-cell lymphomas: clinicopathologic features and diagnosis.

PURPOSE: Primary ocular natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTL) is rare. This study aims to characterize the clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment methods of primary ocular NKTL.

METHODS

Clinical data of seven patients with ocular NKTL from 1982 to 2004 were collected. A morphologic, immunohistochemical and molecular analysis was undertaken.

RESULTS

Clinical manifestations and computed tomography of the patients were typical. LCA CD56 CD3epsilon Ki-67 granzyme B (GrB) and T-cell intracellular antigen-1(TIA-1) were mostly positive. Clonal T-cell-receptor gene rearrangements of five patients showed negative findings, and the detection of Epstein-Barr virus showed positive. All patients died 5 months to 28 months after presentation.

CONCLUSION

Ocular NKTL is a highly aggressive clinical course with poor prognosis. The diagnosis relies on clinicopathologic findings.