[Pancoast-Tobias syndrome disclosing a primary pulmonary non-Hodgkin lymphoma]

Pancoast's syndrome is generally due to superior sulcus tumors, generally bronchial cancer. In rare cases, other causes are found, but these are potentially curable.

A 78-year old woman with a long history of tobacco intake presented with Pancoast's syndrome in the form of a locally invasive left apical lung mass. Despite her advanced age and the diagnosis of the high probability of lung cancer, a transparietal biopsy procedure was nevertheless performed, with the subsequent diagnosis of primary malignant pulmonary lymphoma. The patient was satisfactorily treated by combined chemotherapy.

The present study has shown that malignant non-Hodgkin lymphomas should be considered in the etiology of the disease, and as a rare but potentially treatable cause of Pancoast's syndrome.