Clinical features and treatment of primary nasal B-cell lymphoma

Objective To study the clinical characteristics and treatment of primary nasal B-cell lymphoma (PNBCL). Methods A retrospective analysis was performed based on the clinical records of 18 PNBCL cases who were treated from January 2009 to June 2015. The clinical manifestations, imaging features, diagnosis approaches and treatment of them were analyzed. Results The main symptoms were nasal obstruction and rhinorrhea. Of all patients, 15 cases were in Ann Arbor stageⅠE-ⅡE, and 3 cases were in Ann Arbor stage ⅢE-Ⅳ. The median age was 51 years (12-76 years). The ratio of men to women was 11∶7. Only 1 patient had B symptoms. Elevated LDH levels were observed in 4 patients. 13 patients were diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL), 3 patients were mantle cell lymphoma, and 2 patients were Burkitt lymphoma. CT examination showed the abnormal nasal soft tissue shadow, with unilateral location and light to moderate enhancement. 14 patients received combination chemotherapy only, and 3 patients received chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Total effective rate was 82.3 % (14/17). At the time of last follow-up, 5 patients died, and the 3-year OS rate was 54.5 % (6/11). Conclusions Most PNBCL patients are in Ann Arbor stage ⅠE-ⅡE and B symptoms are rare, and the most common pathological types is DLBCL. The treatment for PNBCL is chemotherapy, radiotherapy can assist, but the prognosis is poor, and innovative chemotherapy regimens are necessary. Key words: Lymphoma, B-cell; Nasal cavity neoplasms; Clinical features; Treatment outcome