A decade in disguise masquerading as recurrent pneumonia

Abstract

Primary pulmonary lymphoma (PPL) is a rare type of lymphoma, representing <1 % of all primary lung cancers. Mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, the most common type of PPL, has an indolent slow growing course over years leading to frequent misdiagnoses. We report a similar case of a 45 years-old-man with a protracted course of intermittent cough and dyspnoea, masquerading as recurrent pneumonia over 10 years. A dig into his prior records revealed consolidation of right lower lobe that had slowly progressed to involve other lobes with new cavitation. A transthoracic biopsy confirmed it as MALT lymphoma. This case highlights the unusual manifestation in MALT lymphoma (being in disguise for a decade prior to diagnosis), thus emphasizing the role of meticulous evaluation of prior medical records and biopsy.