[Primary gastrointestinal non-Hodgkin's lymphomas].

A retrospective study of seventeen patients with primary gastrointestinal Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas (GI-NHL) is presented. The sites of location were: the stomach (12 patients), the small intestine (2 patients), the ileocecal region (1 patient), the colon (1 patient), the stomach and the small intestine (1 patient). The mean age of the patients was 45.5 years. Histopathologic features were classified in accordance with the Working Formulation. Radical surgical resection of the tumour was performed in 14 patients. Laparotomy and biopsy were performed in one patient. The cases were grouped on the basis of: physical examination, surgical report and additional studies (bone marrow biopsy, lymphangiogram, radiograms..). Dawson et al have cited four criteria necessary for lymphoma of GI tract to be primary considered: 1) no enlargement of peripheral or mediastinal lymph nodes; 2) normal white blood cell count; 3) predominance of alimentary tract lesions with only regional lymph node involvement; and 4) no involvement of liver and spleen. After the surgical resection a combined chemotherapy was used in 15 patients. The operation was followed by irradiation in one case. Chemotherapy was refused by one patient. The better outlook in primary gastric lymphomas than in intestinal lymphomas was noted. The majority of investigators reported that gastric lymphoma was associated with better prognosis than intestinal lymphoma, one possible explanation being that gastric lymphoma was more likely to be diagnosed at an earlier stage.