Case Report: Spontaneous Remission of an Infraorbital Follicular B-Cell Lymphoma: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Pathol Oncol Res. 2021 Apr 8:27:642433. doi: 10.3389/pore.2021.642433. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Non-Hodgkin lymphomas comprise a heterogeneous group of malignancies, with a wide scope of clinical, radiological and histological presentations. In this paper, a case is presented of a 59-year-old white male with an infraorbital follicular B-cell lymphoma, which appeared as a painless mass in the left cheek. The lymphoma achieved spontaneous remission five and a half months after his diagnostic incision biopsy. The literature is reviewed, focusing on this rare site of presentation and spontaneous remission. In literature, only four cases have been reported with a follicular B-cell lymphoma of the cheek or infraorbital region, and only 26 cases of spontaneous remission of an extracranial non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the head and neck region have been described. To the authors' best knowledge, this is the first time spontaneous remission of an infraorbital follicular lymphoma could be observed. The nature of the processes inducing spontaneous remission remains obscure. It is important to recognize this phenomenon as this might prevent unnecessary treatment.

Keywords: case reports; cheek; follicular lymphoma; head and neck neoplasms; spontaneous remission.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / pathology*
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / surgery*
  • Lymphoma, Follicular / pathology*
  • Lymphoma, Follicular / surgery*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prognosis
  • Remission, Spontaneous