An Atypical Presentation of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Lymphomas result from the proliferation of malignant lymphocytes, which can affect lymph nodes, blood, and other organs. Primary involvement of the spine by haematological diseases is rare. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with an extranodal location most frequently involves the gastrointestinal tract and airways, affecting the bone, muscle, and nervous system. We present a clinical case of an atypical form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A 78-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with complaints of pain in the lumbar region, hip, and left leg for the last month. Computed tomography of the lumbar spine revealed a mass of left paravertebral tissue with involvement from L3 to L5. Thoraco-abdominal CT-guided biopsy revealed diffuse large-cell non-Hodgkin B lymphoma. The remainder of the study did not show lymphatic involvement, so a diagnosis of primary extranodal large cell non-Hodgkin B lymphoma was made.