Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, presenting as an isolated endobronchial mass after bilateral lung transplantation: a case report.

Background: Lymphoma is a serious complication following solid organ transplantation. Endobronchial involvement of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is rare usually occurring in the setting of widely disseminated disease. Only a few cases of isolated endobronchial NHL have been reported. They were mostly confined to the main bronchi.

Methods: Herein we have described a case of an obstructive endobronchial NHL lesion in a young patient, which developed 6 years after bilateral lung transplantation for cystic fibrosis.

Results: Successful treatment was obtained with endoscopic resection of the lesion followed by chemotherapy.

Conclusions: In rare cases NHL may present as an isolated endobronchial mass in the main bronchi. Because in these cases the prognosis seems to be better, early diagnosis is essential. Rigid bronchoscopy offers the opportunity to safely obtain large amounts of tissue for complete histological diagnosis and to de-obstruct the airway to relieve the symptoms.