Primary pancreatic peripheral T-cell lymphoma: A case report

Yan-Liang Bai; Li-Jie Wang; Hui Luo; Ya-Bin Cui; Jin-Hui Xu; Hui-Jie Nan; Pei-Yao Yang; Jun-Wei Niu; Ming-Yue Shi

doi:10.4251/wjgo.v16.i4.1668

Primary pancreatic peripheral T-cell lymphoma: A case report

World J Gastrointest Oncol. 2024 Apr 15;16(4):1668-1675. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v16.i4.1668.

Authors

Yan-Liang Bai¹, Li-Jie Wang², Hui Luo³, Ya-Bin Cui², Jin-Hui Xu¹, Hui-Jie Nan¹, Pei-Yao Yang¹, Jun-Wei Niu¹, Ming-Yue Shi⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Hematology, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital and Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou 450003, Henan Province, China.
² Department of Hematology, Henan University People's Hospital and Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou 450003, Henan Province, China.
³ Department of Radiation Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450008, Henan Province, China.
⁴ Department of Hematology, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital and Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou 450003, Henan Province, China. shimingyue16@gmail.com.

Abstract

Background: Primary pancreatic lymphoma (PPL) is an exceedingly rare tumor with limited mention in scientific literature. The clinical manifestations of PPL are often nonspecific, making it challenging to distinguish this disease from other pancreatic-related diseases. Chemotherapy remains the primary treatment for these individuals.

Case summary: In this case study, we present the clinical details of a 62-year-old woman who initially presented with vomiting, abdominal pain, and dorsal pain. On further evaluation through positron emission tomography-computed tomography, the patient was considered to have a pancreatic head mass. However, subsequent endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) revealed that the patient had pancreatic peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS). There was a substantial decrease in the size of the pancreatic mass after the patient underwent a cycle of chemotherapy comprised of brentuximab vedotin, decitabine, and oxaliplatin (brentuximab vedotin and Gemox). The patient had significant improvement in radiological findings at the end of the first cycle.

Conclusion: Primary pancreatic PTCL-NOS is a malignant and heterogeneous lymphoma, in which the clinical manifestations are often nonspecific. It is difficult to diagnose, and the prognosis is poor. Imaging can only be used for auxiliary diagnosis of other diseases. With the help of immunostaining, EUS-FNA could be used to aid in the diagnosis of PPL. After a clear diagnosis, chemotherapy is still the first-line treatment for such patients, and surgical resection is not recommended. A large number of recent studies have shown that the CD30 antibody drug has potential as a therapy for several types of lymphoma. However, identifying new CD30-targeted therapies for different types of lymphoma is urgently needed. In the future, further research on antitumor therapy should be carried out to improve the survival prognosis of such patients.

Keywords: Case report; Chemotherapy; Lymphoma; Pancreatic cancer; Primary pancreatic lymphoma.

Publication types

Case Reports