[Malignant lymphoma initially of the buttocks: possible role of repeated intramuscular injections]

The authors report the case of a patient who received intramuscular injections of bismuth and penicilline for three consecutive years. Twenty-five years later, a lymphoma of the right buttock developed. The tumor was treated with radiotherapy and remained localized for two years. It then diffused to lungs, maxilla and skin. The occurrence of a lymphoma in muscles is thought to be exceptionnal. It has been suggested that lymphomas may develop at the site of silicone injections or of protracted infections. Fibrosarcomas have been reported after intramuscular injections of iron. The observations may suggest that the muscular lymphoma observed in our patient may have been related to the injections of bismuth performed twenty-five years earlier.