TCL-360 A Case of Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma Presenting as Airway Obstruction

Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) is a rare subset of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The incidence in the United States is 0.05 per 100,000 person years. It comprises 15%-20% of the cases of peripheral T-cell lymphoma. The most common presentation is generalized lymphadenopathy. NHL is known to involve Waldeyer's ring as the primary site of disease in 5% to 10% of cases. An 83-year-old woman presented to the outpatient clinic with shortness of breath, noisy breathing, and right groin swelling. Physical examination revealed diffuse lymphadenopathy. A complete blood count revealed moderate anemia, normal white blood cell count, and thrombocytosis. A liver function test revealed increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels. Serum albumin and haptoglobin were low. A CT scan of the chest revealed mediastinal and axillary adenopathy. Brain CT showed a nasopharyngeal mass 2×2 cm. Multiple hypodense lesions were seen in the liver. A biopsy of the right inguinal mass revealed an angioimmunoblastic variant of T-cell lymphoma. The patient was started on a MiniCHOP with prednisone regimen. AITL is a rare disease of older adults. Our patient presented with asymmetrical right inguinal lymphadenopathy. Waldeyer's ring involvement is rare in NHL and is large enough to cause symptomatic breathing difficulty. The nasopharyngeal mass possibly contributed to the noisy breathing. The patient's lab results revealed thrombocytosis and a normal leukocyte count, which were a deviation from the cytopenias seen in AITL. The patient had an increase in ALP and ALT levels. In the absence of history of alcohol intake, diabetes mellitus, and obesity, these findings are suggestive of metastatic liver involvement. Due to its low incidence, there is a dearth of large-scale studies evaluating the presenting symptoms of AITL. The variations in laboratory abnormalities from routine findings also warrant further studies. The predominant involvement of nasopharyngeal mucosa leading to breathing difficulties in this case highlights the importance of having high suspicion, since AITL can present as various unique clinical scenarios.