[Malignant lymphoma of the chest wall in a patient with chronic empyema]

A 76-year-old man presented with the chief complaints of appetite loss and general fatigue. He was admitted with the initial diagnosis of empyema necessitatis, and right thoracic drainage was performed. Nevertheless, the subcutaneous mass in the right side of the chest wall did not shrink, and examination of a specimen obtained by percutaneous needle biopsy resulted in the diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, intermediate lymphocytic type. The patient was treated with Adriamycin, vincristine, prednisolone, and cyclophosphamide, but died of pneumonia and cachexia five months after symptoms first appeared. The diagnosis of intermediate lymphocytic lymphoma, B cell type was made at autopsy. Only 53 cases of malignant lymphoma associated with chronic empyema have been reported in Japan. Surgery was often not done because of the patient's advanced age or poor pulmonary function; diagnosis was often difficult. However, review of the 53 reported cases suggested that resection of the tumor, if possible, would improve the prognosis. Malignant lymphoma should be considered when there is chronic empyema, because such cases are now being reported more frequently.