GASTROINTESTINAL NON-HODGKIN'S LYMPHOMA CLINICO-PATHOLOGIC STUDY

Abstract

The aim of this study is to deter­mine the clinicopathologic features of primary gastrointestinal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (Gl NHL) at King Abdulaziz University Hospital-Jeddah, and to compare our results to those reported in the literatures. Patients and Methods: Twenty three aduit patients with primary G! NHL diagnosed over 5-years period (2000-2005) were retro­spectively studied clinically and histo--pathologically. They were classified using the REAL/WHO histopathologic classification. Results: Of the 23 patients with primary Gl NHL, 14 (60.9%) were Saudi, with male to female ratio of 1.3:1. The mean age of the male patients was 61. 3 years ranging from (42-83) years with a SD ± 13.09 while for fe­males was 64 years, age range (50-75) with a SD± 9.14 .Abdominal pain was the most common presenting symptoms (78.3%) and the most common primary site was the stom­ach (73.9%) followed by the small bowel (13 %). The most frequent hls-tologic subtype was the diffuse large-B cell lymphoma accounting for (60.9%) of all cases, followed by mar­ginal-zone cell lymphoma (MALT type) which was Helicobacter pylori associated in (39.1%). A large propor­tion of patients with primary Gl NHL had early disease (Stage IE: 20%, Stage HE 58.6%).