Primary pulmonary T-cell lymphoma mimicking asthma and community-acquired pneumonia: a rare case report

Abstract

Primary pulmonary T-cell lymphoma (PPTL) is a rare disease. Diagnosing PPTL is challenging due to non-specific clinical symptoms and imaging. A 32-year-old female presented with persistent fever, cough, and dyspnoea. The symptoms were initially treated as asthma and community-acquired pneumonia without improvement. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed bilateral consolidations with a CT angiogram sign, and flexible bronchoscopy showed infiltrative lesions causing bronchial stenosis. Histopathological examination of the tissue biopsy identified T-cell lymphoma through immunohistochemical staining positive for CD3. This case highlights the importance of considering differential diagnoses such as PPTL in patients with atypical presentations of asthma or non-resolving pneumonia. This case also demonstrates the diagnostic utility of flexible bronchoscopy in identifying airway obstruction due to malignant cells, which can mimic asthma.

Keywords

• primary pulmonary t-cell lymphoma
• asthma
• ct angiogram sign
• non-resolving pneumonia