Primary nasal non-Hodgkin lymphomas presented initially as benign disease.
BACKGROUND
Primary non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) of the sinonasal tract comprise a rare entity that constitutes 1.5% of all NHLs and 2.2% of extranodal lymphomas in the whites. Clinical diagnosis may be very challenging because of the variety and low specificity of the presenting symptoms and signs.


RESULTS
We present three cases of NHLs, initially diagnosed as benign diseases. All three cases have been eventually correctly diagnosed and treated in our hospital between January 2000 and December 2003. The patients have been under close follow-up from 11 to 36 months after the initial treatment. One of them remains without clinical or radiological evidence of recurrence, whereas the two others died 11 and 16 months after the initial diagnosis.


CONCLUSIONS
It is important to underline that atypical or persistent symptoms of rhinosinusitis may represent the initial expression of a more serious condition such as deep fungal infection, vasculitis, lymphoma, or other malignancy.
Kyrmizakis
Dionysios E
DE
Department of Otolaryngology, University Hospital of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece. dkyrmiz@yahoo.com
Hajiioannou
Jiannis K
JK
Koutsopoulos
Anastasios V
AV
Papadaki
Eleni
E
Papadakis
Dimitrios
D
Bizakis
John
J
Velegrakis
George
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004724:Endoscopy; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use
D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011241:Prednisone