title: Orbital mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT)-type lymphoma in a patient with relapsing polychondritis.
abstract: Relapsing polychondritis is characterized by recurrent inflammation of the cartilaginous tissues of the ears, nose, peripheral joints, and the tracheobronchial tree. The eye is also a frequent target organ in relapsing polychondritis, and proptosis is a well-recognized manifestation of eye involvement. Similar to other rheumatologic diseases, an association of relapsing polychondritis with malignancy has been reported. We describe a patient with relapsing polychondritis who presented with exophthalmos. When treatment directed toward control of her underlying disease was only partially effective, further investigation revealed that she had an orbital mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT)-type B cell lymphoma. We hypothesize that the lymphoma resulted from malignant transformation of the relapsing polychondritis-induced inflammatory pseudotumor and emphasize that neoplastic disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients with relapsing polychondritis presenting with exophthalmos.
authors.affiliation: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lichauco
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lauer
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Shigemitsu
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bello
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Bhattacharyya
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barland
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Putterman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005094:Exophthalmos / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018442:Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D009918:Orbital Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D011081:Polychondritis, Relapsing / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed