Two cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma presenting as primary gynecologic malignancies

Background. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) presenting as a gynecologic malignancy is exceedingly rare. We present two cases of NHL presenting as primary ovarian and cervical cancer, respectively. Case. A 66-year-old female presented with abdominal bloating and increased abdominal girth. She underwent a supracervical hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and omentectomy for a large pelvic mass. Immunophenotyping/flow cytometry revealed monoclonal B-cells positive for the CD 20 marker, consistent with NHL. A 47-year-old female presented with persistent vaginal discharge and an ulcerative lesion of the cervix. Cervical biopsies were non-diagnostic for carcinoma but immunophenotyping demonstrated CD 20 positive B-cells, consistent with NHL. Conclusion. Although uncommon, lymphoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of gynecologic malignancies because of a favorable outcome when properly diagnosed and treated. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.