Primary pulmonary T-cell lymphoma mimicking pneumonia: A case report and literature review

Primary pulmonary T-cell lymphoma is an extremely rare neoplasm. The present study describes the case of an elderly male patient who was admitted to hospital with initial symptoms including a fever, coughing and dyspnea. A chest computed tomography scan detected pneumonia-like features, including multiple variable nodules, ground-glass opacities, patchy infiltration and subpleural consolidation, which progressed rapidly. No mediastinal or hilar adenopathy was noted. The patient was initially diagnosed with severe pneumonia; however, the patient developed severe respiratory failure and extensive progression in radiographic manifestation despite receiving a combination treatment of broad-spectrum antibiotics and antifungal agents. Negative results were obtained for anti-nuclear antibodies and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody assays, which eliminated the possibility that the patient was affected by a connective tissue disease. A bronchoscopy with transbronchial lung biopsy was not performed on account of intolerance. A histological examination, which was performed using specimens obtained via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, allowed the final diagnosis of T-cell lymphoma to be confirmed. Unfortunately, the patient succumbed to respiratory failure and a probable thoracic hemorrhage prior to the initiation of chemotherapy.