Enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma

Enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (EATL) is an intestinal tumour of intraepithelial T lymphocytes, usually presenting as a neoplasm composed of large lymphoid cells and often associated with necrosis and an inflammatory background, including large numbers of histiocytes and eosinophils. Intestinal intraepithelial α–β T-cells have been postulated as the normal-cell counterpart for EATL. EATL is the most common neoplastic complication of coeliac disease. The disease is uncommon in most parts of the world, but is seen with greater frequency in those areas with a high prevalence of coeliac disease, in particular Northern Europe. Usually, EATL occurs in adults, and generally present with abdominal pain, often associated with jejunal perforation, weight loss, diarrhoea, or bowel obstruction. EATL is characterized by multifocal presentation in 10–25% of cases. Small-bowel lymphoma is more common than large-bowel or rectal lymphomas. The prognosis of EATL is very poor, with low chemosensitivity, rapid tumour growth and a tendency to dissemination. Moreover, the high incidence of severe postsurgical complications and the poor nutritional and immunological conditions lead to progressive deterioration of these patients, preventing the use of an adequate and effective treatment.