[CT characters of primary nasal non-Hodgkin lymphoma]

To analyze the computed tomography (CT) characters of primary nasal non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) with histologic phenotype.

The CT data of 21 patients who were diagnosed as primary nasal NHL from 1994 to 2002 were analyzed retrospectively in which 16 cases have T-cell subtype, 2 with B-cell and 3 with T/NK-cell subtype in immunohistochemical examination. CT literatures were also evaluated in 40 patients with nasal polyp and 18 patients with non-NHL malignant tumor simultaneously as comparison groups.

Soft tissue mass and hypertrophic mucosa were the main CT finding in nasal NHL, neoplasms may be found growing in expanding manner like benign tumor (P < 0.01). Contrast to nasal polyp and other nasal malignant tumor, hypertrophic mucosa located on the front of nasal septum can be more frequently viewed (P < 0.01), thicken skin in nasal vestibule were only be found in NHL group. T-cell and B-cell region NHL have similar manifestations while T-NK cell region have more invasive erosion.

CT images in primary nasal non-Hodgkin lymphoma have some typical characters, and may be correlated with the histologic phenotype.