A case of natural killer/T cell lymphoma of the subcutis resembling subcutaneous panniculitis-like T cell lymphoma.

A case of nasal type natural killer (NK)/T cell lymphoma of the subcutis showing clinical and morphological features that resemble subcutaneous panniculitis-like T cell lymphoma (SPTCL) is presented. A 73-year-old man presented with swelling of the left arm and was diagnosed with panniculitis by a dermatologist. It was concluded from a skin biopsy specimen that the patient had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the large cell, NK/T cell type because the neoplastic cells showed polyclonal CD3 immunoreactivity. Treatment with interferon-gamma was initiated, but the patient died of disseminated intravascular coagulation and multiple organ failure 2 months after the initial symptoms appeared. However, involvement of additional organs by the lymphoma was not apparent clinically. An autopsy was not performed. A routinely stained section of the biopsy skin specimen revealed massive necrosis of the subcutaneous fat, karyorrhexis admixed with reactive histiocytes, and large atypical lymphoid cells. Immunoreactivity for polyclonal CD3 was present in the perinuclear region, but absent in the neoplastic cell membranes. CD56, CD45RO (UCHL-1), CD43 (MT1), CD45 (leukocyte common antigen), and the cytotoxic molecules perforin, granzyme B and TIA-1 were positive, but CD20 (L26), CD4, CD8, and betaF1 were negative. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) mRNA was detected in the nuclei of neoplastic cells by in situ hybridization. Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T cell lymphoma is reported to be an EBV-negative, clonal T cell neoplasm. Although this case showed clinical and morphological features that resembled SPTCL, perinuclear polyclonal CD3 staining and membranous CD56 reactivity seen in neoplastic cells were suggestive of NK cells. Furthermore, the neoplastic cells were positive for EBV. This case is considered to be a NK/T cell lymphoma of the subcutis resembling SPTCL. It is believed that it is important to recognize such a tumor because patients may undergo a fulminant clinical course, despite the tumor being localized in the subcutaneous adipose tissue.