Description:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction</jats:title><jats:p>The distribution of extranodal <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">NK</jats:styled-content>/T‐cell lymphoma (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ENKTCL</jats:styled-content>) is highly inhomogeneous throughout the world. In Sub‐Saharan Africa, despite the precocity of Epstein‐Barr virus (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">EBV</jats:styled-content>) infection and its endemicity, <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ENKTCL</jats:styled-content> remains exceptionally reported. The purpose of this study was to report the epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical, and evolutionary characteristics of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ENKTCL</jats:styled-content> at the Aristide LeDantec University Hospital in Dakar, Senegal.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methodology</jats:title><jats:p>A 5‐year retrospective review of all patients with histopathological, immunohistochemical, and <jats:italic>in situ</jats:italic> hybridization proven cutaneous lymphomas</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>We collected seven cases corresponding to a frequency of 1.4 cases per year. <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ENKTCL</jats:styled-content> accounted for 10.5% of all cutaneous lymphomas, ranking second after T‐cell lymphomas. Men were predominantly affected (M : F ratio of 6), and the mean age was 38.5 years ± 4.06. The mean time before consultation was 7.3 months. The lymphomas affected primarily the nasal cavity in five cases and the skin in two cases. At admission, six patients had nasal mucosa involvement, which was isolated in three cases, associated with cutaneous lesions in three cases and lymph node involvement in three cases. <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CD</jats:styled-content>56 was positive in only one case, and Eber transcribed <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">RNA</jats:styled-content> of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">EBV</jats:styled-content> was expressed by <jats:italic>in situ</jats:italic> hybridization in all patients.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Discussion</jats:title><jats:p>To our knowledge, we have reported the first and largest series of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ENKTCL</jats:styled-content> in Sub‐Saharan Africa. Our study shows an intermediate prevalence between that reported from Asia, Latin America, and the West. It was also noted a young age of patients, a prolonged diagnostic delay, a frequent negativity of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CD</jats:styled-content>56 marker, and a very poor prognosis of the disease in our region.</jats:p></jats:sec>