Isolated non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma of the mandible

Abstract

Primary non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) is rare. When it does occur, mandibular NHL typically manifests similar to an odontogenic process. This results in delayed diagnosis and treatment. We present a 53-year-old male who was erroneously treated for a dental process for several months before the correct diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was made. Fortunately, the solitary bony lymphoma had not disseminated and management by chemo-radiation allowed for disease eradication and new, post-treatment, bone formation. The purpose of this report is to describe a rare case of NHL of the mandible, explore the diagnosis and workup, and discuss treatment strategies.