title: Aggressive natural-killer cell lymphoma presenting with skin lesions, breast nodule, suprarenal masses and life-threatening pericardial and pleural effusions.
abstract: We report the clinical and laboratory findings of a patient with an aggressive Epstein-Barr virus positive CD2+/CD56+ natural killer-cell lymphoma with a high mitotic activity and complex chromosomal abnormalities presenting with life-threatening pericardial and pleural effusions, disseminated skin lesions, breast nodule and large suprarenal masses. The clinical course was characterized by resistance to chemotherapy and relapsing pericardial and pleural effusions with respiratory and haemodynamic failure. Death occurred 4 months after the first manifestations of the disease as a consequence of cardiac tamponade.
authors.affiliation: Service of Clinical Hematology, Hospital Geral de Santo António, Porto, Portugal. mmc.lima@clix.pt
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: França
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Canelhas
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pina
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Queirós
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Corbillon
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Justiça
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology*; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000209:etiology*; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000209:etiology*; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*