Primary pulmonary extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma diagnosed by thoracoscopic lung biopsy: A case report.

A 63-year-old Japanese female presented with fever. Computed tomography showed multiple nodules in both lungs. Corticosteroids and antibiotics were administered to treat suspected organizing and bacterial pneumonia, resulting in no improvement and respiratory failure worsened. Surgical lung biopsy revealed infiltration of CD3, CD56, Granzyme B, and EBV-encoded RNA-ISH-positive atypical lymphocytes. She was diagnosed with primary pulmonary extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (ENKL) and died two months after diagnosis with only a temporary effectiveness of chemotherapy. We should consider the possibility of ENKL and perform prompt and appropriate biopsy for early diagnosis in cases where empiric therapy is ineffective for suspected pneumonia.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. No conflicts of interest.
(© 2024 The Authors.)