Objective To investigate the clinical features of non-gastrointestinal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue ( MALT) lymphoma.Methods Forty-eight pathologically proved cases of nongastrointestinal MALT lymphoma, admitted into Peking Union Medical College Hospital fromJanuary 2000 to July 2011, were retrospectively analyzed.Results There were 32 females and 16 males. The median age at diagnosis was 55. 4 years old ( range, 21-76 years) . The most commonly affected sites were lung, salivary glands, thyroid and ocular adnexa. In5 cases, the lymphoma presented at multiple mucosal sites. 27 patients were asymptomatic while 13 had non-specific symptoms. Blood test showed mild or moderate anemia in 8 cases, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate in 19 cases, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase in 6 patients.Imaging examinations revealed enlarged lymph nodes in 20 patients. 6 patients had a history of Sjoren’s syndrome, in whom3 cases were salivary gland diseases. In the patients with lung involvement, pathological diagnosis was obtained by bronchial biopsies in 3 cases, by CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsies in 11 cases, and by surgical biopsies in 9 cases. While in the patients without lung involvement, pathological diagnosis was obtained all by surgical biopsies. Of the 23 patients with lung involvement, 1 remain untreated,while 22 received various combinations of treatment ( surgery alone in 3 patients, surgery plus chemotherapy in 6 patients, and chemotherapy alone in 13 patients) . Of the 25 patients without lung involvement, 11 patients received surgery alone, 10 patients received surgery plus chemotherapy, 3 patients received chemotherapy alone, and 1 patient received surgery plus chemotherapy and radiotherapy. 46 patients remained alive during the median follow-up of 46. 7 months ( range, 4-133 months) . While 1 patient with lung involvement died from unknown causes, another 1 patient with lung involvement died from lung infection. Conclusions Non-gastrointestinal MALT lymphoma tends to occur in old-aged females, and commonly occurs in lung, salivary gland and thyroid sites. Most patients are asymptomatic or have only nonspecific symptoms. CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsies and surgical biopsies are helpful to the diagnosis.Prognosis for this lymphoma tends to be indolent.
ObjectiveTo highlight the characteristics of pulmonary MALT lymphoma with diffuse lung disease. MethodsThe clinical,radiological and pathological data of two patients with pulmonary MALT lymphoma were analyzed,and relevant literature was reviewed. ResultsOne patient was a 59-year-old male with cough for five years while antibiotic treatment was ineffective. The chest CT scan demonstrated diffuse lung disease,bilateral multiple consolidation and ground-glass opacities,small nodules and bronchiectasis. Thoracoscopy biopsy was performed and the pathology study confirmed the diagnosis of MALT lymphoma. Another case was a 50-year-old female,who suffered from fever,cough and dyspnea. The chest CT scan revealed bilateral multiple patchy consolidation,with air bronchogram. The eosinophils count in blood was high. Diagnosed initially as eosinophilic pneumonia,she was treated with corticosteroids. The clinical symptoms were improved,but the CT scan revealed no change. After the computed tomography guided percutaneous lung biopsy,pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of MALT lymphoma. ConclusionMALT lymphoma with diffuse lung disease is rare and easy to be misdiagnosed. The positive rate of bronchoscopy is low and percutaneous lung biopsy or thoracoscopy biopsy is more useful for diagnosis.
ObjectiveTo explore the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment methods of pulmonary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. MethodsClinical manifestations, laboratory examinations, imaging, diagnosis and treatment data of 23 patients with pulmonary mucosa-associated lymphoma were collected and related literatures were reviewed. ResultsAmong the 23 patients, 14 were males and 9 females, aged 22 to 71 years old, with a median age of 58 years old. Seven patients were found in physical examination, 15 patients showed respiratory symptoms, and 1 patient was diagnosed with flatness on percussion. According to the pulmonary CT scan, 10 patients showed large consolidations, 9 patients showed mass shadows with air bronchograms, 10 patients showed nodular shadows, 1 patient showed small reticular shadows, and 1 patient was observed with subcarinal mass in the mediastinum; 1 patient was observed with a decreased lung volume. Immunohistochemistry examination showed CD20 (+), cyclind-1 (-), and Ki-67 index was from 5% to 25%. Ten patients were treated with chemotherapy, 9 patients were treated with surgery, 1 patient was treated with radiotherapy and surgery, and 3 patients were untreated. ConclusionsPulmonary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma is a low-moderate malignant tumor, with insidious clinical onset, and patients usually go for treatment due to physical examination and mild respiratory symptoms. Imaging findings are mainly pulmonary consolidation and mass shadows associated with air bronchograms. Confirmed diagnosis is primarily made by pathology and immunohistochemistry. Currently, there is still some controversy over a variety of treatment options, including observation, surgery, surgery combined with chemotherapy, chemotherapy alone, and radiotherapy. The patients' prognosis and survival time are both excellent.
Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is an indolent B cell derived non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It is the main type of uveal lymphoma and is extremely rare. The pathogenesis of ocular MALT lymphoma remains unclear. It is now considered to be associated with many causes. The manifestations of primary uveal MALT lymphoma differ. So sometimes it is necessary to diagnose depending on diversity of auxiliary tests. Ultrasound examination shows typical low and homogeneous internal reflectivity, with blood flow signal. Optical coherence tomography, fundus imaging, fundus angiography, magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography computerized tomography can assist diagnosing. Primary uveal MALT lymphoma is sensitive to radiation therapy, chemotherapy and biotherapy have positive influence too. The prognosis of uveal MALT lymphoma is good, but its early diagnosis is rather challenging. The nonspecific clinical manifestations and the rarity of the disease can confound the initial diagnosis, resulting in delayed treatments which may cause irreversible vision loss.