PRIMARY INTESTINAL T-CELL LYMPHOMA PRESENTING AS CAECAL PERFORATION: A CASE REPORT

Primary colonic lymphomas are rare malignancies, accounting for less than 0.6% of large bowel cancers.Among these, T-cell lymphomas are exceedingly uncommon and are associated with aggressive clinical behavior and poor prognosis.We report a case of primary intestinal T-cell lymphoma presenting as caecal perforation in a 60-year-old female who presented with acute abdomen and peritonitis.Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed caecal wall thickening with a mass lesion.Emergency right hemicolectomy was performed.Gross examination showed an ulceroinfiltrative caecal growth with perforation.Histopathological examination revealed diffuse infiltration of the bowel wall by atypical lymphoid cells.Immunohistochemistry demonstrated tumor cells positive for CD3, CD4, BCL2 with a high Ki-67 proliferation index, and negative for CD20 and CD5, confirming the diagnosis of primary colonic T-cell lymphoma.This case highlights the aggressive nature of colonic T-cell lymphomas and emphasizes the importance of immunohistochemistry for accurate diagnosis.