Extranodal imaging manifestations of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

A series of imaging features of extranodal, multi-systemic involvements in Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) were investigated. The clinical data and imaging findings of 16 patients with pathologically proved NHL were retrospectively analyzed. The related literatures were reviewed. Of the 16 cases of NHL, skeletal involvement was found in 4, nasal cavity and nasal sinuses were involved in 4, too. Lesion in the thorax was seen in 3 patients, hepatic involvement occurred in one case, cerebral ventricle was affected in 3 cases, mesentery was involved in one case. Even though extranodal involvement of NHL exhibited extremely variable patterns, there were some relatively typical imaging findings. Emphasized in this report were the relatively specific imaging manifestations of different systems, which may mimic infectious or other neoplasms of different sites. The importance of imaging studies lies in the availability for diagnosis, staging and follow-up of NHL. Combined with the clinical and other related information, the diagnostic accuracy can be further improved, thus, providing reliable evidence in guiding clinical management.