Ophthalmoplegia as an unusual initial symptom of non-Hodgkins' lymphoma in the head and neck.

Non-Hodgkins' lymphomas are relatively common tumors in the head and neck and should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of any mass lesion in this region, especially in cases with single enlarged lymphnodes of unknown origin and symptoms that can only be explained by metastasis. The diagnosis is usually established by multidisciplinary collaboration. We report our experience in managing a 48-year-old man who was found to have a non-Hodgkins' lymphoma in his neck that was complicated by a metastasis to his brain causing incomplete ophthalmoplegia, a rare primary complication. The differential diagnosis and the examinations leading to the diagnosis are discussed.