Head and neck lymphomas associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

OBJECTIVE

To focus on clinicopathologic data of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) of the head and neck area (with lymph nodal or extranodal localization) arising in patients with immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

PATIENTS

Among 73 evaluable patients for presenting symptoms, of a total of 82 with HIV-related NHLs whose conditions were diagnosed at the Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano (Italy), between September 1984 and May 1992, 15 (21%) had primary, solitary head and neck (P-HN) lymphoma and 13 (18%) had systemic head and neck (S-HN) lymphoma arising from this region.

RESULTS

Ten (67%) of 15 patients with P-HN NHL had stages I and II, whereas all patients with S-HN NHL had stages III and IV. Twenty-seven of 28 patients had extranodal disease at presentation, the principal sites being Waldeyer's ring and soft tissues. There were only high-grade (14 cases) or intermediate-grade (three cases) NHLs, the most frequent histotypes being small noncleaved cell, Burkitt's type, and large-cell immunoblastic. Seven of 11 cases in the miscellaneous group of the working formulation were classified as Ki-1+ anaplastic large-cell lymphoma. By immunophenotypic and genotypic characterization, a B-cell derivation was suggested for 21 of 28 NHLs. After combination chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy, a complete remission was observed in seven (58%) of 12 patients with P-HN lymphoma and in only two patients with S-HN lymphoma. Median survival was 9.8 months for the patients with P-HN lymphoma and 8.3 months for the other patients. Thirteen patients died, the most common causes of death being opportunistic infections (five cases) and progression of lymphoma (four cases).

CONCLUSIONS

Most HIV-infected patients with head and neck NHL had severe immunodeficiency, extranodal disease, aggressive histologic findings, and a poor treatment response.