What is peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma?
Peripheral T cell lymphoma is a rare and aggressive type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that develops from immature white blood cells called T cells. T –cells or T-lymphocytes are the major components of the body’s immune system these cells help to fight off infections.Disease Epidemiology
Peripheral T cell lymphoma accounts for only 10-15 percent of all Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It can occur at any age however the risk of development of peripheral T cell lymphoma is higher in people above the age of 60 years. It is more common in people with Asian African and Caribbean ethnicity.Disease causes
There is no well-known cause, however, there is an association between the present or past Epstein bar virus and Human-T-cell leukemia virus 1 (HTLV-1) and the development of Peripheral T cell lymphoma.Signs and symptoms
The patient may suffer from the following signs and symptoms. These are- Painless lumps swelling or mass in neck armpit, groin, ear, or elbow
- Skin rash
- Constant fatigue
- Fever
- Night sweats
- Weight loss
Diagnosis
The following are the diagnostic tests that help to diagnose peripheral T cell lymphoma.- Complete blood count (CBC) with peripheral smear
- Blood coagulation profile
- Bone marrow aspiration and cytology
- Immunohistochemistry
- EBV antibodies test
- CT- scan, MRI, PET scan, Ultrasonography (USG), and X-Ray to detect the site and extent of care.