Vol 3, No 4 (2007)
Case report
Published online: 2007-07-27
Diagnostic and therapeutic quandaries in NK-cell lymphomas - a report of two cases
Onkol. Prak. Klin 2007;3(4):217-222.
Abstract
In the present paper we describe clinical course of natural killer (NK) cell lymphomas. In the first patient,
diagnosis of nasal NK/T cell lymphoma was based on histopathologic examination of tumor lesion within
the base of nose (Ann Arbor IIA). The patient received chemotherapy according to CN3OP (cyclophosphamide,
mitoxantrone, vincristine, prednisone) and IVAC (etoposide, ifosfamide, cytarabine) protocols.
His initial response to chemotherapy was good, but rapid disease progression within skin and lungs
subsequently occured. The patient died due to cardio-pulmonary insufficiency 7 months after lymphoma
diagnosis. In the second patient, diagnosis of blastic NK cell lymphoma was based on histopathologic
findings in skin and trephine biopses. The patient was treated according to COP (cyclophosphamide,
vincristine, prednisone) and CC (cyclophosphamide, cladribine) protocols and after disease progression
he received 2 additional courses of mitoxantrone, etoposide and cytarabine. His initial response to chemotherapy
was good, but rapid disease progression within bone marrow and skin occured. The patient zajmowadied
due to central nervous system hemorrhage in the course of disseminated intravascular coagulopathy
9 months after lymphoma diagnosis. These two case reports reveal diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties
of the very rare NK cell lymphomas.
Keywords: lymphomanatural killer cellsdiagnosistreatmentprognosis