Primary breast lymphoma: a clinical, pathological and immunophenotypic study of eight cases / 中华病理学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the clinical, pathological and immunophenotypic characteristics of the primary breast lymphoma (PBL).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Analyses of clinical history, preoperative findings, histological and immunohistochemical features of eight patients with PBL were performed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Malignant lymphoma was difficult to diagnose preoperatively. All patients were women. The age range was from 34 approximately 65 years (mean 46.4 years). The right breast was involved initially in three patients, the left in four. One patient presented bilateral involvement. Seven patients were assessed at stage IE, one with ipsolateral axillary lymph nodes involvement at stage IIE. According to the WHO classification, five patients were diagnosed as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (4/5 centroblast, 1/5 immunoblast); the other three patients as MALT lymphoma, all with lymphoepithelial lesions. The paraffin-embedded tissues of all cases showed immunoreactivity for B-cell markers CD20, CD45RA. CD5 and CD10 were negative in all cases. Follow-up data were obtained in six patients, none recurred or died within 8 to 108 months after diagnosis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>This study indicates that most PBL are diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and MALT lymphoma and have a better prognosis after comprehensive therapy.</p>