[Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the maxillary sinus]

The head and neck region is one of the most common sites of extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but it is an infrequent tumor at the paranasal sinuses site, representing no more than 5.8-8 percent of the entire malignant tumours in this localization and 0.3-2 percent of all extranodal lymphomas. These rare tumors are characterized by bulky local disease, and a propensity for central nervous system spread. Most of patients with paranasal sinus lymphoma have stage I or IIE disease, but according to the TNM system, more than half have T3-4 disease. Most of these tumors are asymptomatic in the early stages and are diagnosed only after invasion of adjacent structures with local bone destruction. Treatment is basically radiotherapy in combination with aggressive multidrug chemotherapy, also in elderly patients, even at the beginning of the illness. A case of primary extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma arising in maxillary sinus, in 64 year-old man is reported. He was staged IAE by the Ann-Arbor system, and according to the TNM staging T4N0M0. He was treated with irradiation and polychemotherapy and responded complete local regression, but during chemotherapy has been developed extranodal dissemination to central nervous system.