A Rare Condition with a Common Presentation: NK/T-Cell Lymphoma Presenting as Recurrent Sinusitis and Facial Cellulitis

Extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphomas are rare tumors that account for 1.5% of all non-Hodgkin-type lymphomas in the United States and almost 7–10% of all non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas in Asia and South America. The nasal type commonly presents with facial cellulitis, nasal obstruction or proptosis. Occasionally, local extension from the nasal cavity causes destruction of the hard palate, previously known as “lethal midline granuloma.” We present a case of a 37-year-old male who presented with recurrent right-sided facial swelling, periorbital cellulitis and sinusitis. There was some delay in confirming the diagnosis but he was eventually diagnosed with stage 1e NK/T-cell lymphoma (nasal type). Disease diagnosed at an early stage confers a very favorable curative remission rate. Therefore, clinicians should be aware of the possibility of an NK/T-cell lymphoma when facing a presentation of recurrent sinusitis associated with atypical presentation such as periorbital cellulitis.