[Primary cutane manifestation of a precursor-B-lymphoblastic lymphoma in the external ear]

A Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) represents nearly three percent of all malignant tumors. Thirty to fourty percent of the lymphomas are located extra-nodal. Within the head and neck region they might occur in the tonsils, tongue base or the sinuses, the larynx and the pharynx. A cutaneous manifestation is rare. We report on an extranodal B-cell-lymphoma of the ear in a young woman. She reported on a piercing of the pinna months before with a subsequent infection. This infection led to the development of a massive ear tumor. Histologic examination resulted in the final diagnosis. In spite of the considerable extent of the lymphoma there was no systemic manifestation and a total remission was induced by chemotherapy before adjuvant radiation.