Pancoast's syndrome due to primary pulmonary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Introduction.-Pancoast's syndrome is generally due to superior sulcus tumor s, generally bronchial cancer. In rare cases, other causes are found, but t hese are potentially curable. Case-report.-A 78-year old woman with a long history of tobacco intake pres ented with Pancoast's syndrome in the form of a locally invasive left apica l lung mass. Despite her advanced age and the diagnosis of the high probabi lity of lung cancer, a transparietal biopsy procedure was nevertheless perf ormed, with the subsequent diagnosis of primary malignant pulmonary lymphom a. The patient was satisfactorily treated by combined chemotherapy. Conclusion.-The present study has shown that malignant non-Hodgkin lymphoma s should be considered in the etiology of the disease, and as a rare but po tentially treatable cause of Pancoast's syndrome. (C) 1999 Editions scienti fiques at medicales Elsevier SAS.