Primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma of the face presenting as posttraumatic maxillary sinusitis.

Primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma of the face presenting as posttraumatic maxillary sinusitis.
J Craniofac Surg. 2008 Nov

Chen RF, Chen CT, Liao HT, Chen CH, Chen YR.
Division of Trauma Plastic Surgery, Department of Plastic and Reconstruction Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Chang Gung Institute of Technology, Taoyuan, Taiwan.

Primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is an uncommon disease. It has various presentations that may mislead the diagnosis and cause delay of treatment. We report a 12-year-old boy who experienced persistent swollen and painful right cheek after blunt facial injury. The patient was first treated for maxillary sinusitis according to clinical history, but the pathology turned out to be primary cutaneous ALCL. Symptoms improved after chemotherapy with complete remission. No recurrence was noted during the follow-up period. The presentations of primary cutaneous ALCL of the face may mimic posttraumatic maxillary sinusitis. Any patient with facial prolonged symptoms or nonhealing wound should be excluded from this entity.

Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins