Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: an overview and case study

Since non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) has a great histological variability and tends to afflict organs and tissues that do not normally contain lymphoid cells, it is used to refer to a broad category of lymphoid neoplasias unrelated to Hodgkin's disease. The intraoral site is uncommon (3–5% of cases), and it is rarely where the disease first manifests itself. We present the case of a 73-year-old male Italian Caucasian patient who presented to us with a tongue lesion. Hemorrhage and macroglossia were the clinical findings, which were probably caused by the tongue-bite wounds. For 48 hours, the patient had been complaining of dyspnea. In conclusion, tongue involvement is not common in NHLs. However, when making a differential diagnosis between benign and malignant lesions affecting the same location, this potential should always be taken into account. To improve the prognosis and therapy of this disease, a timely diagnostic diagnosis in conjunction with sufficient histopathologic confirmation is necessary.