Young immunocompetent patient with oropharyngeal plasmablastic lymphoma

Young immunocompetent patient with oropharyngeal plasmablastic lymphoma. Background: Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is a rare tumour that most commonly occurs in the oral cavity in immunocompromised patients.

Case report: A 35-year-old man presented with symptoms suggesting obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). Fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopy, contrast-enhanced computed tomography, and drug-induced sleep endoscopy revealed a mass in the oropharynx that completely obstructed the upper airway. Direct laryngoscopy was performed, and the lesion was excised using a CO2 laser. Anatomopathological examination and flow cytometric differentiation established a diagnosis of plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL). Postoperative chemotherapy resulted in complete response.

Conclusions: Extra-oral PBL is very rare. This is the first published report of oropharyngeal PBL in an immunocompetent patient. This case emphasizes the importance of considering PBL as a differential diagnosis when an oropharyngeal tumour is present. Clinical ENT examination should include fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopy to detect any head and neck mass that may cause OSAS-related symptoms.