Neck mass in a young adult – an atypical case of lymphoma solved with surgery

Nodular lymphocyte-predominant lymphoblast (LHNPL) is an uncommon subtype of Hodgkin's lymphoma (LH). Compared to other kinds of LH, it is more confined and indolent. We aim to raise awareness about lymphoma as a potential cause of cervical masses in young people by presenting this clinical case, which is an unusual instance of LHNPL that was cured with excisional biopsy. A literature review and a descriptive and retrospective clinical case study were performed. We discuss the case of a 23-year-old who has had a left submaxillary adenopathy for nearly 7 years, with inconsistent behavior. We performed three fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and found changes indicative of reactive ganglia. The final diagnosis of LHNPL was obtained using excisional biopsy. Because the patient had no signs of systemic and local involvement, it was decided not to do additional therapy, with no complaints at almost 5-year follow-up. In the differential diagnosis of cervical malignancies in young adults, lymphoma must be taken into account. In this case, both the diagnosis and treatment were surgical. We alert to LHNPL because the typical clinical presentation is cervical lymphadenopathy (100%), with no additional signs or symptoms in most patients.