Plasmablastic lymphoma mimicking orbital cellulitis.
BACKGROUND
Orbital cellulitis is an uncommon, potentially devastating condition that, when not promptly and adequately treated, can lead to serious sequelae. The presenting clinical signs are proptosis, swelling, ophthalmoplegia, pain and redness of the peri-orbital tissues. A number of cases have been reported in which these symptoms have been mistakenly interpreted as being secondary to an orbital infection whilst, in fact, other pathology was present.


CONCLUSIONS
We add another case in which, on clinical grounds and after radiological assessment and laboratory tests, a working diagnosis of orbital cellulitis of the left eye was made. It was only after histopathological analysis of a soft tissue specimen from the maxillary sinus that a diagnosis of an AIDS-related plasmablastic lymphoma was made. The patient was referred to the department of haematology where chemotherapeutic treatment for the lymphoma and the HIV infection was started. This case report adds another differential diagnosis of orbital cellulitis to the existing literature.
Barkhuysen
Richard
R
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 590, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. R.Barkhuysen@mka.umcn.nl
Merkx
Matthias A W
MA
Weijs
Willem L J
WL
Gerlach
Niek L
NL
Bergé
Stefaan J
SJ
D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016483:Lymphoma, AIDS-Related / Q000473:pathology*; D016400:Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Immunoblastic / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D054517:Orbital Cellulitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009918:Orbital Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*