Why the study?
T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma often presents with mediastinal masses, but initial presentation with cardiac tamponade is exceedingly uncommon.
This case highlights that T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of unexplained pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade in young patients.
Supports including lymphoma in the differential of unexplained tamponade in young patients; leaves open broader epidemiologic implications.
T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) is a rare and aggressive subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It often presents with mediastinal masses, but its initial manifestation with cardiac tamponade is exceedingly uncommon. We report the case of a 24-year-old female presenting with progressive dyspnea due to large pericardial effusion with tamponade physiology, leading to the diagnosis of T-LBL. The patient underwent partial pericardiectomy followed by immunophenotyping that confirmed the diagnosis. Chemotherapy was initiated with favorable response. This case highlights the importance of considering lymphoma in young patients with unexplained pericardial effusion and emphasizes the need for prompt diagnostic workup.
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Silva et al. (2025) studied this question.
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