An elderly man with multiorgan involvement – a diagnostic challenge

The diagnostic considerations in acute onset illness with multiorgan involvement typically include infectious diseases and at times, systemic vasculitides. We report an elderly man that presented with transient heart block, renal failure, and bicytopenia. Following a short-lasting initial clinical improvement, he developed a nasal mass, cutaneous nodules, and pericardial effusion in quick succession and succumbed to his illness. We made a final diagnosis of extranodal peripheral T-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This patient highlights the importance of considering aggressive lymphoma as a differential in patients presenting with unexplained multiorgan involvement.