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Critical Care5 papers

Enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma

Last edited: 4/15/2026

Overview

Enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (EATL) is a rare and aggressive malignancy arising from intraepithelial T lymphocytes, primarily affecting the gastrointestinal tract. It is often associated with celiac disease or other malabsorption syndromes 1.

Diagnosis

  • Key Diagnostic Criteria: Histological examination remains gold standard but may be challenging in certain scenarios.
  • Recommended Tests:
  • - Flow cytometry analysis of celomic fluid 1 - Cell block technique for celomic fluid assessment 1
  • Differential Diagnosis: Consider in cases of pyoid ascites of unknown origin 1
  • Management

  • First-line Treatment: Chemotherapy regimens such as CHOP (Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Vincristine, Prednisone) are commonly used 1 (Evidence: Expert opinion)
  • Adjunctive Treatments:
  • - Surgical intervention may be necessary for complications like massive ascites 1 - Supportive care including management of malnutrition and infections 1 (Evidence: Expert opinion)

    Special Populations

  • No Specific Data Provided: Abstracts do not cover management specifics for pregnancy, pediatrics, elderly, or comorbidities 1
  • Key Recommendations

  • Include EATL in the differential diagnosis for pyoid ascites of unknown origin, utilizing flow cytometry and cell block techniques for diagnosis when histological examination is not feasible (Evidence: Weak) 1
  • Employ CHOP-based chemotherapy as a first-line treatment approach for EATL (Evidence: Expert opinion) 1
  • Consider surgical intervention for managing complications such as massive ascites in EATL patients (Evidence: Expert opinion) 1
  • References

    1 Tanaka H, Ambiru S, Nakamura S, Itabashi T, Furuya S, Shimura T et al.. Successful diagnosis of type II enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma using flow cytometry and the cell block technique of celomic fluid manifesting as massive pyoid ascites that could not be diagnosed via emergency laparotomy. Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan) 2014. link

    Original source

    1. [1]

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