Primary Gastrointestinal T-cell Lymphoma Presenting as Spontaneous Perforation Peritonitis

James Love; Hasan Raza; Pouyan Kheirkhah; Elie Ghoulam; Sarang Thaker; Robert Carroll

doi:10.7759/cureus.35028

Primary Gastrointestinal T-cell Lymphoma Presenting as Spontaneous Perforation Peritonitis

Cureus. 2023 Feb 15;15(2):e35028. doi: 10.7759/cureus.35028. eCollection 2023 Feb.

Authors

James Love¹, Hasan Raza¹, Pouyan Kheirkhah², Elie Ghoulam³, Sarang Thaker⁴, Robert Carroll⁵

Affiliations

¹ Internal Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, USA.
² Pathology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, USA.
³ Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, USA.
⁴ Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA.
⁵ Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, USA.

Abstract

Primary T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is a rare, poorly-characterized clinical entity. A well-known complication of intestinal NHL is perforation due to chemotherapy, but perforation as a presenting sign of GIT lymphoma is extremely rare. Here we present a case of spontaneous intestinal perforation secondary to primary intestinal T-cell lymphoma and highlight the importance of early recognition of this uncommon cause of perforation as a crucial step to ensure expedited hematology referral and initiation of appropriate treatment.

Keywords: enteroscopy; gastrointestinal lymphoma; perforation peritonitis; small bowel; t-cell lymphoma.

Publication types

Case Reports