Centrofacial angiocentric lymphoma

The centrofacial angiocentric lymphoma is a rare lymphoid neoplasm, with an often-difficult diagnosis due to the non-specific clinical picture. On many occasions it is necessary to perform various biopsies to reach the correct diagnosis. This lymphoma is an aggressive Non-Hodgkin's (NHL) type, which is normally found in the upper respiratory tract (predominantly in the nasal cavity), and has an ominous prognosis, as the average survival rate is between 12 and 18 months (1). It is predominantly found in subjects of oriental and South American extraction, who are between the ages of 50 and 60 years and with a slight tendency towards males (2:1). This is the case study of a female Ecuadorian patient who was referred to our department with a hemifacial edema, chocolate- like rhinorrhea and nasal respiratory obstruction, which had been treated with antibiotics and anti-inflammatories for a month without success. After performing a number of diagnostic tests, it was found histologically that the patient had an extranodal T-cell lymphoma of the nasal type (also known as T-cell angiocentric lymphoma).