Primary anaplastic large cell lymphoma of the lung. Report of two cases and literature review.

To our knowledge, only eleven cases of primary anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) of the lung have previously been reported. We describe here another two cases of primary pulmonary ALCL that developed in two Chinese women. Both patients presented with insidious symptoms related to pulmonary mass or nodule lesions. A comprehensive workup failed to show disease outside the chest. CD30-positive ALCL was demonstrated by histopathological studies of the lung tissue. Both patients were treated with 6 cycles of CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone) chemotherapy and had complete remission. Primary pulmonary lymphoma is a great challenge for pneumologists since the clinical presentations and radiological findings are nonspecific. Appropriate invasive biopsy is necessary for early diagnosis.