title: Lethal midline granuloma-nasal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this paper is to discuss lethal midline granuloma (LMG)-nasal natural killer (NK) T-cell lymphoma (LMG-NTL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LMG is a rare entity that usually arises in the nasal cavity, exhibits a male preponderance, and has a wide age range. The majority of LMGs are LMG-NTLs. The optimal treatment of LMG-NTL is unclear and is most likely moderate-dose radiotherapy. The prognosis for patients with LMG-NTL is significantly worse than for patients with other types of head and neck non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL). The 5-year survival rate is approximately 20% but may be higher, depending on whether patients with less aggressive forms of NHL are included. Initial local-regional disease progression is the predominant pattern of treatment failure. Late failures after 5 years are uncommon.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LMG-NTL is a rare nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma that can be difficult to distinguish from other benign and malignant entities. Its clinical course, however, is extremely aggressive. The patterns of failure suggest a role for more aggressive local-regional treatment, as well as more effective chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA. mendewil@shands.ufl.edu
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Mendenhall
authors.forename: Kenneth R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Olivier
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.forename: Nancy Price
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Mendenhall
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006103:Granuloma, Lethal Midline / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012737:Sex Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis