Endobronchial mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma

An 86-year-old woman presented with a chief complaint of productive cough for 1  month. She had never smoked and had no particular personal and family medical history. Chest radiography and computed tomography (CT) were performed, and wall thickening extending from the left main to upper bronchus (Figure  1A, arrow) and atelectasis of the left upper lobe were detected. Sputum culture and cytology did not reveal any remarkable findings, and serum tumor marker levels were within normal ranges. She subsequently underwent bronchoscopy, and multiple nodular protruding lesions were detected in the entire endobronchial region of the left main bronchus (Figure  1B). The biopsy specimen of the lesion was pathologically examined. Microscopic findings of massive and monotonous proliferation of small lymphocytes with CD21 positivity and clonality confirmed by polymerase chain reaction analysis of immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangements led to the diagnosis of endobronchial mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. Further examinations showed no distant metastasis. Treatment with rituximab and bendamustine was initiated.
Source: QJM - Category: Internal Medicine Source Type: research