Rare Localization of Lymphoma

Abstract

 Objective: Primitive Thyroid Lymphomas (PTL) are rare tumors. Women in the sixth or seven
th decade of life are more commonly affected. In the present study, we report a case of primitive 
thyroid lymphoma and we review the epidemiology, the clinical presentation, the diagnosis, 
and the treatment of this rare disorder.
 Case Report: A 47-year-old woman presented to our department reporting a recent-onset neck 
mass since 3 months. Clinical examination revealed an enlargement of the thyroid gland with 
a 2.5 cm-firm left nodule. Cervical ultrasound was done. The patient had a thyroidectomy as
sociated with bilateral Central Lymph Node Dissection (CLND). The diagnosis was a transfor
mation of a Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma into an aggressive Diffuse 
Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL).
 Conclusion: The most common type of primary thyroid lymphoma (PTL) is diffuse large B-cell 
lymphoma, which behaves in a more aggressive manner than mucosa-associated lymphoid 
tissue lymphoma. Treatment and prognosis of PTL depend upon the histology and stage of the 
tumor at diagnosis.