Clinical Case Reports

Biography

Biography: Saliha Chbicheb

Abstract

Introduction- Non Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a Malignant disease, affecting the lymphatic system and developed at the expense of a lymphoid cell line, but different from Hodgkin's disease in its natural history, microscopic appearance, and its therapeutic management. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma has the propensity to affect non-lymphoid tissues including oral tissues. Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the mandible mistreated as chronic periodontitis with diffuse enlargement of the mandibular canal associated to hypesthesia, remains rarely reported in the litterature. Case Report- A 35-year-old patient presented with a painful swelling on the left side of the mandible with a clinically chronic periodontitis associated with hypesthesia. A panoramic radiograph showed a diffuse uniform enlargement of the left mandibular canal. Histological examination revealed that the lesion was a primary intraosseous non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the mandible. Discussion Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma mainly affects patients in the fifth decade and more, with a male predilection. To our knowledge, there have been only several reports of PNHL associated with widening of the mandibular canal. With the introduction of very sophisticated diagnostic imaging techiques, such as cone beam CT, and improving the teaching process by adding Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma to the list of primary mandibular malignancies, clinicians should be aware of eliminating the delay in the diagnostic process. However, conventional panoramic radiographs showed remarkable features of PNHL, emphasizing the “gold standard” of a pre-treatment radiograph for every dental case, enabling early diagnosis of rare bone lesions and tumours. Radiographic examination is extremely important in pathologies of the jaw that encroach upon adjacent anatomical structures. Conclusion- Although radiographic features are often a complementary exam to confirm a clinical problem, they can reveal a hidden latent malignant process, but also even be the first alarming sign leading to an early diagnosis of non Hodgkin’s lymphoma