[Elderly non-Hodgkin's lymphoma arising in left brachial soft tissue]

A 66-year-old woman visited a local hospital complaining of left brachial tumor in June 1988. She was diagnosed as having non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (diffuse medium-sized type) by biopsy of the tumor. No other lesions were detected at any site. The disease was classified as stage IA and radiotherapy was carried out resulting in complete remission (CR). Because a tumor was observed at the same site again she was admitted to our hospital. Under a diagnosis of recurrence, she received 2 courses of COP-BLAM therapy, and achieved CR. Subsequently she was treated with chemotherapy as an outpatient. As another tumor developed at the same site in June 1992, the patient was readmitted. The re-evaluation of clinical stage revealed no other lesions. Under a diagnosis of second recurrence, still in stage I, she underwent both chemotherapy (IMV-triple P therapy) and radiotherapy, and CR was achieved again. She is now being treated as an outpatient. Malignant lymphoma originating from soft tissue, particularly the skeletal muscle, is rare. The present case was considered to be rare because the tumor was a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma originating from the left brachial soft tissue, in which the tumor recurred twice at the same site.