Primary Orbital Extranodal Natural Killer/T-Cell Lymphoma in a Young African Male: A Case Report

Natural killer/T-cell (NK/T) lymphomas are very rare with poor prognosis. These cancers are more prevalent in Asian and South American populations, are often Epstein-Barr virus positive, and usually involve the nasal cavity or paranasal sinuses. NK/T lymphomas originating from the orbit is an extremely rare occurrence.

Here we report the clinical, radiological, and histopathologic features of an 18-year-old male who presented with a painful right orbital mass associated with ipsilateral headache and complete vision loss in the affected eye, that was histologically diagnosed as an NK/T lymphoma. Despite a favorable response to gemcitabine, dexamethasone, and cisplatin treatment, the patient died as a result of treatment-induced complications. We present the clinical and radiologic parameters, the histological and molecular characterization of the tumor, including treatment and outcome.

This case underscores the importance of promptly characterizing atypical orbital masses, maintaining a high index of suspicion for NK/T lymphoma in the differential diagnosis even for young patients, the need for safer targeted treatments especially in resource-limited settings, and the need for close monitoring of side effects during treatment.