Extranodal Nasal type NK/T-Cell Lymphoma has a peculiar geographic distribution, occurring more frequently in Eastern countries and in the native populations of some Central and South American countries. It is commonly found in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, but may also compromise other structures in the mid-facial region. The disease has a characteristic homing dissemination pattern, including skin, testis, CNS and digestive tract. This lymphoma can, less frequently, primarily compromise these regions. The majority of these neoplastic diseases present an NK phenotype, but a few cases can be truly of T-cell origin, because of which it is designed "NK/T-cell lymphoma". The Epstein-Barr virus genome can be detected in most of the cases, suggesting an etiological relationship. Although this lymphoma is responsive to radiotherapy, it is more resistant to conventional chemotherapy than other lymphomas. A possible explanation for this is the frequent expression of the p-glycoprotein. The prognosis of these lymphomas is still poor, making further investigation of new therapies imperativ.
Extranodal Nasal type NK/T-Cell Lymphoma; extranodal lymphoma; Epstein-Barr virus