Bilateral primary adrenal lymphoma. A case report.

The adrenal gland is a rare site of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, as only about 70 cases have been reported in the literature, usually with bilateral involvement. Most tumours have a high grade histology, almost always with the B phenotype. Medical imaging is nonspecific and biopsy remains the most reliable diagnostic method. Chemotherapy is the treatment of choice, but the prognosis remains poor in the majority of cases, although long-term survivals have been described. The authors report a case of bilateral high-grade lymphoma of the adrenal glands in a 31 year-old patient presenting with acute adrenal insufficiency. Imaging demonstrated large bilateral adrenal masses, and surgical biopsy of the adrenal gland and staging confirmed the diagnosis of bilateral primary adrenal lymphoma. After corticosteroid replacement therapy, treatment consisted of primary CHOP chemotherapy administered for 9 cycles, followed by external beam radiotherapy delivered at a dose of 40 Gy. After 3 months of follow-up, the patient was still alive, with partial response, with an overall survival of 15 months.