Comparison of CT findings in non-Hodgkin lymphoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the maxillary sinus.

The findings at CT in 11 patients with primary non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) of the maxillary sinus were compared with the CT findings in 21 patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the maxillary sinus. In NHL, the segmental bone destruction was in alignment with the bony wall with a massive tumor infiltration into the neighboring structures. In contrast, all patients with SCC were characterized by a soft tissue mass with aggressive bone destruction. About half of the patients with NHL had cervical lymphadenopathy. Post-treatment recalcification of previous bone destruction was seen in 4 out of 5 NHL patients on follow-up CT. In the patients with SCC, only a few had metastatic lymphadenopathy, and no recalcification occurred after treatment. CT is therefore of importance in differentiating NHL from SCC of the maxillary sinus.