Plasmablastic lymphoma of the sphenoid bone in an immunocompetent patient: A diagnostic challenge

Plasmablastic lymphoma is a rare type of highly aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma that usually occurs in immunocompromised patients and involves chiefly extra-nodal sites such as the oral cavity, jaw, gastrointestinal tract, soft tissue, bone, and skin. People above the age of 50 years are more commonly affected, with male predominance having a survival rate of 8 to 15 months. Here, we describe the case of a 48-year-old man who had an isolated plasmablastic lymphoma of the right sphenoid bone without any immunodeficiency. Plasmablastic lymphoma in immunocompetent patients at rare sites is a diagnostic challenge for both clinicians and pathologists because of vague clinical and histomorphology findings. This rare case report reemphasizes the utility of complete assimilation of clinical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical findings in such rare cases.