Intestinal T-cell lymphomas: A retrospective analysis of 68 cases in China

The CT findings of extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type involving the gastrointestinal tract

OBJECTIVES

To analyze the CT imaging features of extranodal natural killer/T (NK/T)-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKTCL-NT) involving the gastrointestinal tract (GI), and to compare them with those of Crohn's disease (CD) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data were retrospectively collected from 17 patients diagnosed with GI ENKTCL-NT, 68 patients with CD, and 47 patients with DLBCL. The CT findings of ENKTCL-NT were analyzed and compared with those of CD and DLBCL. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 25.0) and MedCalc (version 18.2.1). p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

The 17 patients with ENKTCL-NT included 11 males (64.7%) and 6 females (35.3%) (mean age, 46.41 ± 4.12 years). The CT features of ENKTCL-NT included: circumferential symmetric thickening (100%), moderate thickening (70.6%), skip lesions (52.9%), contiguous lesion (47.1%), mucosal or layered enhancement (70.6%), moderate mural enhancement (64.7%) with non-enhanced regions (47.1%), absence of lymphadenopathy (76.5%), bowel perforation or fistula (17.6%), and peri-enteric blurred fat space (70.6%). The presence of circumferential symmetric thickening, moderate mural enhancement, and non-enhanced regions were more indicative of ENKTCL-NT than CD (17/17 vs. 17/68, 11/17 vs. 22/68, 8/17 vs. 0/68, p < 0.05). The presence of skip lesions, mucosal or layered enhancement, and absence of peri-enteric lymphadenopathy were more indicative of ENKTCL-NT than DLBCL (9/17 vs. 2/47, 12/17 vs. 1/37, 13/17 vs. 19/47, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

CT imaging features can provide useful information for the early diagnosis of ENKTCL-NT and effectively differentiate it from CD and DLBCL.

KEY POINTS

Question Extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKTCL-NT) involving the gastrointestinal tract (GI) is highly malignant but easily misdiagnosed by clinicians and endoscopic examination. Findings CT could provide useful information in the diagnosis of ENKTCL-NT involving GI and in differentiating it from Crohn's disease and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Clinical relevance This study will help improve the ability of radiologists to diagnose ENKTCL-NT involving GI, and a more predictive diagnosis will also alert clinicians to perform multiple deep endoscopic biopsies, which will contribute to the early diagnosis and treatment of ENKTCL-NT.

Primary intestinal T-cell and natural killer-cell lymphomas: Clinicopathologic and prognostic features of 79 cases in South China

OBJECTIVES

Primary intestinal T-cell and natural killer-cell lymphomas (PITNKLs) are aggressive and make pathologic diagnoses in biopsy specimens challenging. We analyzed different subtypes' clinicopathologic features and treatment outcomes.

METHODS

Seventy-nine PITNKL cases were characterized by clinical, morphologic, and immunohistochemical features.

RESULTS

Among 79 cases of PITNKLs from 2008 to 2017 in our institution, 40 (50.63%) were extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKTL); 32 (40.51%) monomorphic epitheliotropic intestinal T-cell lymphoma (MEITL); 6 (7.59%) intestinal T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified; and 1 (1.27%) indolent T-cell lymphoma of the gastrointestinal tract. Small intestine (n = 47) was the most common site. Monomorphic epitheliotropic intestinal T-cell lymphoma showed distinctive clinicopathologic features from other subtypes with high expression (96.88%) of spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) and PD-L1 (87.5%) and the poorest prognosis (P < .001). CD30 was highly expressed in ENKTL (9/17, 57.94%) and irrelevant to prognosis (P > .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Cases of PITNKL are biologically heterogeneous; most have a dismal prognosis. SYK and PD-L1 expression might be a significant marker for MEITL and helps differential diagnosis.

Primary Gastrointestinal T-cell Lymphoma Presenting as Spontaneous Perforation Peritonitis

Primary T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is a rare, poorly-characterized clinical entity. A well-known complication of intestinal NHL is perforation due to chemotherapy, but perforation as a presenting sign of GIT lymphoma is extremely rare. Here we present a case of spontaneous intestinal perforation secondary to primary intestinal T-cell lymphoma and highlight the importance of early recognition of this uncommon cause of perforation as a crucial step to ensure expedited hematology referral and initiation of appropriate treatment.

Differential Diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Primary Intestinal Lymphoma: A Scoring Model Based on a Multicenter Study

Background

Differential diagnosis of Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative primary intestinal lymphoma (UPIL) is a tough problem in clinical practice.

Aims

Our study identified key differences between CD and UPIL patients and aimed to further establish a scoring model for differential diagnosis.

Methods

A total of 91 CD and 50 UPIL patients from 9 tertiary inflammatory bowel disease centers were included. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine significant markers for differentiating CD and UPIL. A differential scoring model was established by logistic regression analysis.

Results

The differential model was based on clinical symptoms, endoscopic and imaging features that were assigned different scores: intestinal bleeding (−2 points), extraintestinal manifestation (2 points), segmental lesions (1 point), cobblestone sign (2 points), homogeneous enhancement (−1 point), mild enhancement (−1 point), engorged vasa recta (1 point). A total score of ≥1 point indicates CD, otherwise UPIL was indicated. This model produced an accuracy of 83.66% and an area under the ROC curve of 0.947. The area under the ROC curve for validation using the 10-fold validation method was 0.901.

Conclusion

This study provided a convenient and useful model to differentiate CD from UPIL.

T-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma of the Ileum Presenting as Perforation and Peritonitis: A Case Report

Background

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) of the ileum, presenting as perforation and peritonitis, is a rare disease, derived from intestinal intraepithelial T lymphocytes. The degree of malignancy is extremely high. The pathogenesis of ileal perforation caused by NHL remains unclear, as well as the chromosome and immune system abnormalities, which may be related to NHL, and are indistinguishable from other benign and malignant conditions and are clinically nonspecific.

Case Report

We describe an 84-year-old man with abdominal pain for 4 days, which was aggravated for 3 h. The pain was in the upper abdominal region and was initially considered to be due to gastrointestinal perforation. He had persistent insidious pain, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and fever. Physical examination indicated that the patient had pain all over the abdomen; also, rebound pain and muscle tension, and bowel sounds were reduced on auscultation. An abdominal CT scan showed free gas in the abdominal cavity. The patient was diagnosed with peritonitis due to hollow viscus perforation. A prompt exploratory laparotomy was performed. Intraoperative findings showed perforations in the ileum that are approximately 40 cm from the ileocecal region, which were 3–8 mm in size. A segmental distribution was observed, and the intestinal contents overflowed with purulent discharge around the perforation surface. Resection and ileostomy were performed, and the clinical histopathological examination confirmed T-cell lymphoma. The patient was advised to visit the Oncology Department for further chemotherapy.

Conclusion

Timely emergency surgery is the key to the treatment of ileal perforation caused by T-cell lymphoma. Resection and ileostomy were performed as intervention measures, and subsequent histopathological examination manifested T-cell lymphoma.

Intestinal T-cell lymphoma: A rare entity presenting with severe acute upper quadrant pain

Primary gastrointestinal T-cell lymphomas are rare. Presenting symptoms can be non-specific, and imaging studies can show overlap with nonmalignant processes. Definitive diagnosis requires clinical suspicion and histologic evaluation with ancillary studies for appropriate disease classification and therapeutic intervention.

Palliative Radiation Therapy without Chemotherapy for a Patient with Monomorphic Epitheliotropic Intestinal T Cell Lymphoma: A Case Report

Monomorphic epitheliotropic intestinal T cell lymphoma (MEITL), which used to be known as type 2 enteropathy-associated T cell lymphoma, is a rare lymphoma and is generally treated with chemotherapy. However, the MEITL prognosis is poor, and intestinal lymphoma including MEITL has the risk of bowel perforation not only at presentation but also during chemotherapy. A 67-year-old man was diagnosed with MEITL after presenting in our emergency room with bowel perforation. He and his family did not opt for the administration of anticancer drugs because of the risk of bowel perforation. However, they wanted the patient to receive palliative radiation therapy without chemotherapy. This treatment shrunk the tumor size without causing severe complications or decline in the quality of life, until he accidentally died due to traumatic intracranial hematoma. Considering the potential efficacy and safety of this treatment, it should be studied in more patients with MEITL.

Monomorphic epitheliotropic intestinal T-cell lymphoma presenting as melena with long-term survival: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND

Monomorphic epitheliotropic intestinal T-cell lymphoma (MEITL) is a rare primary intestinal T-cell lymphoma, previously known as enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma type II. MEITL is an aggressive T-cell lymphoma with a poor prognosis and high mortality rate. The known major complications of MEITL are intestinal perforation and obstruction. Here, we present a case of MEITL that was diagnosed following upper gastrointestinal bleeding from an ulcerative duodenal lesion, with recurrence-free survival for 5 years.

CASE SUMMARY

A 68-year-old female was admitted to our hospital with melena and mild anemia. An urgent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) revealed bleeding from an ulcerative lesion in the transverse part of the duodenum, for which hemostatic treatment was performed. MEITL was diagnosed following repeated biopsies of the lesion, and cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) chemotherapy was administered. She achieved complete remission after eight full cycles of CHOP therapy. At the last follow-up examination, EGD revealed a scarred ulcer and ¹⁸Fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography showed no abnormal FDG accumulation. The patient has been in complete remission for 68 mo after initial diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

To rule out MEITL, it is important to carefully perform histological examination when bleeding from a duodenal ulcer is observed.

[Clinical characteristics and survival analysis of primary intestinal extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type]

Objective: To retrospectively analyze the clinical features and survival analysis of primary intestinal extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma nasal type(ENKTL). Methods: Patients with intestinal lymphoma at the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Military Medical University were collected from January 2009 to December 2019, and those with primary intestinal ENKTL screened. The general situation, main symptoms, ECOG scale, lactic dehydrogenase(LDH), and β(2)-microglobulin(β(2)-MG)in the serum, lesion site and form, numbers of extranodal invasion, Lugano stage, pathological features, and lifetime and survival outcomes were evaluated. Results: In total, 34 patients with confirmed diagnosis of primary intestinal ENKTL were identified. The incidence rate of primary intestinal ENKTL is 16.2% (34/210). A total of 26 patients were men and 8 were women with the median age at diagnosis of 45 (range, 20-69)years and patients younger than 60 years account for 85.3%. It included abdominal pain (76.5%), diarrhea(20.6%), hematochezia(29.4%), and abdominal mass(2.9%), 85.3% with B-symptoms, and abnormally elevated LDH in the serum(73.5%). The lesion sites included large intestine(52.9%), small intestine(29.4%), and both of them(17.7%). The lesion forms were featured by mass(8.8%), ulcer(32.4%), diffuse infiltration(2.9%), and hybrid(55.9%). Lugano stage included stage Ⅰ/Ⅱ (70.6%)24 patients and stage Ⅳ(29.4%)10 patients. About 94.1% patients were EBER positive. The median survival time was 60 days. The overall survival rate had significant differences on ECOG scale, LDH in the serum, IPI score and complications(P=0.037, 0.009, 0.002, and 0.000, respectively). Conclusion: Primary intestinal ENKTL was commonly observed in men at young or middle age, and the most common symptom was abdominal pain, often with B-symptoms, abnormally elevated LDH in the serum. The most common site was the large intestine. The lesion forms were mainly featured by the hybrid and ulcer. It seemed that patients with IPI low-risk group and without any complication would have longer survival time.

Early colon cancer with enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma involving the whole gastrointestinal tract: A case report

BACKGROUND

Enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (EATL) is a rare invasive lymphoma derived from gastrointestinal epithelial T lymphocytes. EATL involving the whole gastrointestinal tract accompanied with early colon cancer is extremely rare.

CASE SUMMARY

We present the case of a 67-year-old man with diarrhea for more than 5 mo whose colonoscopy in another hospital showed multiple colonic polyps, which indicated moderate to severe dysplasia and focal early cancer. Therefore, he was referred to our hospital for further endoscopic treatment. Colonoscopy after admission showed that the mucosa of the terminal ileum and the entire colon were slightly swollen and finely granular. Endoscopic mucosal resection was performed for colonic polyps located in the liver flexure of the colon and descending colon, respectively. Histopathological findings revealed diffuse infiltration of medium-sized lymphoid cells in the colonic mucosa and visible lymphoepithelial lesions. The histopathology of the polyp in the descending colon indicated moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma limited to the mucosa with negative resection margins. Additionally, immunohistochemical analysis showed positive staining for CD7 and CD8. Therefore, we arrived at a diagnosis of EATL with early colon cancer. Subsequently, the patient was transferred to the hematology department for chemotherapy. The patient’s diarrhea was not significantly relieved after receiving chemotherapy, and he ultimately died of severe myelosuppression.

CONCLUSION

EATL should be considered in unexplained chronic diarrhea. EATL progresses rapidly with a poor prognosis, especially when accompanied with early colon cancer.

Intestinal T-cell lymphoma presenting as colonic perforation in the setting of ulcerative colitis: a case report

The intestinal T-cell lymphomas are a rare group of lymphatic malignancies arising from the gastrointestinal tract. They frequently manifest with non-specific clinical and radiographic findings that may mimic several other disease processes. The most common subtype is linked with refractory coeliac disease and commonly affects the small intestine. We report a case where the diagnosis was uncovered endoscopically in a patient presenting with colonic perforation on a background of long-standing ulcerative colitis. Surgical source control was required prior to considering chemotherapy, which is the usual treatment option in lymphatic malignancies. The case highlights the importance endoscopic evaluation in inflammatory conditions of the colon.

Primary Enteropathy-Associated T-Cell Lymphoma Type 2: An Emerging Entity?

Intestinal T-cell lymphoma is a rare hematological malignancy that can present as primary intestinal lymphoma or as a manifestation of systemic disease. Primary involvement accounts for approximately 0.1% to 0.5% of all colorectal neoplasms. It is an aggressive disease with a poor prognosis and low survival rate. Inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, immunosuppression, and infectious etiologies, such as Epstein–Barr and human T-lymphotropic viruses, have been reported as risk factors, but no direct causal link has been established. Herein, we examine the case of a Hispanic man 69 years of age diagnosed with positive CD3, CD7, CD8, CD43, and Bcl-2 diffuse primary colorectal T-cell lymphoma. The patient did not exhibit a concomitant autoimmune or genetic disease. Because of the patient's history of polyps, surveillance colonoscopy was performed and the diagnosis was confirmed.

Primary lymphomas in the gastrointestinal tract

Primary gastrointestinal (GI) lymphomas are uncommon diseases that can involve the whole GI tract. The etiologies of the disease remain unclear, and potential risk factors include celiac disease, Helicobacter pylori infection, use of immunosuppressive agents, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and inflammatory bowel disease, etc. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma are the most common subtypes of GI lymphomas. B-cell lymphomas of the GI tract are more common in Western countries, while in Asia-Pacific region T-cell lymphomas are more frequently reported. In this review, lymphomas in the esophagus, stomach and intestine are described, including their epidemiology, histology, clinical manifestations, endoscopic findings, radiological features and treatment.