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Primary Uterine NK-Cell Lymphoma, Nasal-Type: A Unique Malignancy of a Prominent Cell Type of the Endometrium

  • Case Report
  • Published:
Pathology & Oncology Research

Abstract

Natural killer (NK) cells host in the human endometrium with dedicated role in reproductive physiology. Interestingly, malignant transformation of these specialized cells has not been presented thus far. Here we report a primary endometrial NK-cell lymphoma of a 48 year-old patient presenting with irregular bleeding. The endometrial curetting showed a dense lymphomatous infiltrate demonstrating highly infiltrative aggressive features with characteristic angiocentric, partially angiodestructive growth pattern and accompanying focal necroses. The lymphoma cells displayed a CD3ε/CD56/TIA-1/granzyme-B-positive and CD5/CD4/CD8/TCRγδ-negative immunophenotype, proved to be positive for Epstein-Barr virus by EBER in situ hybridization, and revealed no clonal T-cell receptor gene rearrangement. The diagnosis of uterine extranodal NK-cell lymphoma, nasal-type was made. Clinically, the disease was limited to the uterus at diagnosis, but progressed rapidly, and the patient died within 5 months due disseminated lymphoma, irrespective of intensive chemotherapy. Genuine NK-cell lymphomas occurring in the uterus as primary site seem to be rare making the therapeutic decisions extremely complicated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei krt. 98, 4032, Debrecen, Hungary

    Gábor Méhes, Katalin Hegyi, Tamás Csonka & Ferenc Fazakas

  2. Department of Pathology, City Hospital, Kazincbarcika, Hungary

    Zsolt Kocsis

  3. Department of Hematology, Semmelweis Hospital, Miskolc, Hungary

    Gáspár Radványi

  4. Department of Pathology, Semmelweis Hospital, Miskolc, Hungary

    István Vadnay

  5. Laboratory of Tumor Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics, Szeged, Hungary

    Enikő Bagdi & László Krenács

Authors
  1. Gábor Méhes
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  2. Katalin Hegyi
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  3. Tamás Csonka
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  4. Ferenc Fazakas
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  5. Zsolt Kocsis
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  6. Gáspár Radványi
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  7. István Vadnay
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  8. Enikő Bagdi
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  9. László Krenács
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Correspondence to Gábor Méhes.

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Méhes, G., Hegyi, K., Csonka, T. et al. Primary Uterine NK-Cell Lymphoma, Nasal-Type: A Unique Malignancy of a Prominent Cell Type of the Endometrium. Pathol. Oncol. Res. 18, 519–522 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12253-011-9360-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12253-011-9360-4

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