Two cases of nasal natural killer T-cell lymphoma

Nasal natural killer T-cell lymphoma is a very aggressive and destructive disease with a poor prognosis. We hereby present two male patients in whom diagnostic problems and a mortal course were encountered. One patient (age 31 years) had progressive ulceration in the nasal area. Two biopsies that had been taken elsewhere were inconclusive. The other patient (age 40 years) was referred with a previous histopathologic diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma. He complained of an unhealing wound in the hard palate. Biopsies were repeated in each case. Diagnosis was made by immunohistochemical examination. Both patients died shortly after the diagnosis. The importance of obtaining an adequate and deep biopsy sample and employing sophisticated immunohistochemical examination is emphasized for an accurate diagnosis.