ABSTRACT
Primary caecal lymphoma or the colonic lymphoma is a rare tumor of the gastrointestinal (GIT) tract and comprises only 0.2-1.2% of all colonic malignancies, both in adults and pediatric age group. The most common variety of colonic or caecal lymphoma is a on-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL) which arises from the lymphoid elements of the intestine. GIT is the most frequently involved site, accounting for 50-60% of all extra nodal lymphomas, and most of them are NHL. In adults, the stomach is the most common location of GIT lymphomas, followed by the small intestine, but the most common GI site of NHL in children is the terminal ileum and the ileo-caecal region. Diagnosis is difficult since lymphoma presents with vague abdominal pain with loss of weight and appetite. It may present as lump abdomen with complications such as intestinal obstruction, bleeding, perforation and peritonitis and intussusseption. Histologically it is B or T cell type with small or large cell variation, but frequently encountered is diffuse large B-cell cell lymphoma (DLBCL). DLBCL has low incidence but favorable outcome in young adults, lesions localized to one area or organ and children below 5 years of age, but has an aggressive course in children between 10-15 years of age and also in adults above 55 years of age. DLBCL or GIT Lymphomas in general have male preponderance. We present a rare case of caecal lymphoma (DLBCL) involving appendix and right ovary in a 12 year old girl who presented with vague symptoms of abdominal pain and abdominal mass. Clinically and radiologically, provisional diagnosis of Ileo-caecal tuberculosis with possibility of adhesions leading to a mass lesion was considered. Histopaththological examination (HPE) revealed the diagnosis and prognosis of the case.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Primary colonic lymphomas are very rare disorders and the most common location of a colonic lymphoma is the cecum. However, the prognosis for patients with a primary cecal lymphoma is not well understood clear. This study was undertaken to assess the prognosis for patients with a primary cecal lymphoma. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of our patients, who were categorized into two groups, cecal lymphoma (10 cases) and non-cecal lymphoma (10 cases), was performed from January 1985 to December 2001. The prognostic factors were analyzed. RESULTS: The most common presenting symptoms and signs of cecal lymphomas were abdominal pain (80.0%), nausea/ vomiting (80.0%), and abdominal mass (40.0%). The preoperative biopsy- proven diagnostic rate of cecal lymphoma was 10.0%. The mean size of cecal lymphomas was significantly smaller than that of non-cecal lymphomas (6.2 cm vs. 10.0 cm). Histologically, 9 (90.0%) of the primary cecal lymphomas were classified as intermediate-grade lymphoas, and 1 (10.0%) as a high-grade lymphoma. three (30.0%) of the cecal lymphomas were Stage IE, 5 (50.0%) were Stage IIE1, and 2 (20.0%) were Stage IVE. Tumor resection and chemotherapy was used for 8 (80.0%) of the cecal lymphomas. Two regimens of chemotherapy were used: CHEP-Bleo (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and epirubicin, prednisone, and bleomycin) and COP-BLAM (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone, bleomycin, doxorubicin, procarbazine). The median survival time for patients with a cecal lymphoma was 56 months, but that survival time was not significantly different from the survival time for patients with non-cecal lymphoma. CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis for patients with a primary cecal lymphoma appears to be similar to that for patients with a non-cecal lymphoma. However, the number cases in our study was very small, the more cases are needed to establish a general prognosis for patients with a primary cecal lymphoma.