Clinical manifestations of oral lymphomas - Retrospective study of 15 cases in a Taiwanese population and a review of 592 cases from the literature.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Due to the rarity of oral lymphoma (OL), we aimed to evaluate the clinical features of OL and discuss these findings in light of the literature.

METHODS

English language literature (1980-2019) related to OL was searched in two electronic databases. Patients (2000-2019) diagnosed with OL were also selected from the database of the Oral Pathology Department in our institution. The clinical features, radiographic appearance, and histopathological diagnosis in these selected cases from publications and our institution were then analyzed.

RESULTS

607 cases of OL (15 in our institution and 592 from literature) in patients aged between 0 and 92 years (average, 51.8 years) with a male to female ratio of 1.6:1 were included. The most common diagnosis was diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (n = 205), followed by Burkitt lymphoma (n = 72) and T-cell lymphoma (n = 37). The most frequent site was the gingiva, followed by palate, maxilla, mandible, tongue and buccal mucosa. The most frequent symptoms were swelling, ulceration, paresthesia, mobile tooth and pain. Radiographic findings included ill-defined osteolytic lesion, thickening of the periodontal ligament, loss of lamina dura and tooth displacement.

CONCLUSION

Despite the rarity of extranodal lymphomas in oral cavity, their occurrence may be part of disseminated disease. Detailed history-taking, clinical and imaging examination and awareness of the patient's signs and symptoms are important for early diagnosis and an improved prognosis. The current data form a useful basis for clinical investigation and teaching regarding lymphoma occurring in the oral cavity.