Natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, masquerading as recalcitrant periodontitis in a patient with a diagnosis of Wegener's granulomatosis.
Extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, is a rare type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with similar presentation to various benign inflammatory diseases. Adequate biopsy is required for a diagnosis because this lymphoma frequently coexists with large amount of necrosis and inflammation. In this study, a case of a 49-year-old woman presenting with a 3-week history of right maxillary alveolar ridge pain with a subsequent diagnosis of periodontitis is described. The patient's clinical condition deteriorated over a period of 6 weeks. Computed tomography delineated involvement of the right maxillary sinus, posterior part of the right pharynx and right nasal cavity. Immunohistopathology initially revealed Wegener's granulomatosis, followed by extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma. Severe refractory periodontitis in a background of Wegener's granulomatosis may be the initial presentation of extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type. In addition to careful examination, radiographic and laboratory testing, multiple large biopsies should be taken for immunohistochemical analysis to obtain an appropriate diagnosis.
PubMed Abstracts
PubMed Abstracts