Extranodal NK/T-Cell Lymphoma Misdiagnosed as Pulmonary Infection.

Extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) is highly invasive. Its etiology and pathogenesis may be related to Epstein-Barr virus infection. In this article, we report a case of a man with ENKTL affecting the right vocal cord and right lung. Initially, the lesion was misdiagnosed as a pulmonary infection. However, subsequent histopathological examinations confirmed the diagnosis through analysis of a surgically resected specimen. Following 14 cycles of immune therapy and chemotherapy, the lesion in the right lung significantly shrank. This case underscored the importance of obtaining surgically resected specimens for pathology when ENKTL is suspected, which can improve diagnostic accuracy and mitigate misdiagnosis.