Enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (type II): a Brazilian case report

• Main Authors: Aloísio Felipe-Silva, Maria Claudia Nogueira Zerbini, Fernando Peixoto Ferraz de Campos, Raphael Salles Scortegagna de Medeiros, Rodrigo Montenegro Lourenção
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of São Paulo 2012-06-01
• Series: Autopsy and Case Reports
• Subjects: Enteropathy-Associated T-Cell Lymphoma; Celiac Disease; Lymphoma; Non-Hodgkin; Intestinal Perforation; T-Cell.
• Online Access: http://www.revistas.usp.br/autopsy/article/view/36460

Enteropathy-associated T-cell Lymphoma (EATL) is a rare form of aggressive T-cell lymphoma. It is more prevalent in men over 60 years and the prognosis is very poor. EATL is classified into two groups based on morphology, immunohistochemistry, and genetic profile. EATL type I is highly associated with celiac disease and is more common in Western countries. EATL type II predominates over type I in Asia, where celiac disease is uncommon. We report a case of a 78-year-old previously healthy white male who presented with a 2-month history of diarrhea, weight loss and edema. The abdomen was distended and painful, and a tumor mass was palpable in the hypogastrium. Laboratory tests showed hypoalbuminemia. Serological tests for HIV, viral hepatitis and HTLV-1 were negative. The chest radiography showed pneumoperitoneum, and an exploratory laparotomy revealed perforation of the small bowel. An advanced stage (Ann Arbor IV B/Lugano IIE2B) EATL type II was diagnosed. Four cycles of chemotherapy were interspersed with several complications (anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity, chemotherapy-induced neutropenic fever and severe sepsis). Performance status progressively worsened and he died 6 months after the diagnosis. This is an illustrative report of a rare and aggressive primary intestinal lymphoma. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of EATL type II in Brazil.