ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the clinical and histopathologic features of patients with primary gastrointestinal malignant lymphoma ( PGIML). Methods The clinical and histopathologic data of 22 patients with PGIML were reviewed and analyzed retrospectively. All cases were confirmed with histological specimen obtained from endoscopic biopsies or surgery. Results Abdominal pain was the most common presenting symptom, seen in 15 of 22 patients (68.2% ). The incidence of PGIML was highest in stomach, seen in 12 of 22 patients (54. 5% ). Modularity of the mucosal surface was the most common endoscopic finding, seen in 15 of 21 patients (71. 4% ). The positive rate of endoscopic biopsy for the diagnosis of PGIML was 52. 6% (10/19 biopsy cases). All cases were non-Hodgkins lymphomas ( NHL). Twenty cases were muco-sa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, and 13 of 20 cases were extra-nodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of MALT. Conclusions Abdominal pain is the most common symptom and the stomach was the most common location in PGIML. Extra nodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of MALT is the main histopathologic feature. The prognosis of PGIML is related to the surgical procedure and the post operative chemotherapy.