Malignant lymphoma in Hadhramout Sector, Yemen: a retrospective study of 170 cases classified according to the WHO classification

Abstract

Introduction Malignant lymphoma is a primary neoplasm of lymphoid tissue. It is the third most common cancer in children worldwide. There are two broad categories of malignant lymphomas: non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). Both have different microscopic features, follow different treatment modalities, and have different prognoses. Aim of the work The aim of the study was to determine the different types of lymphoma in all age groups, and find its relation to sex and site of lymph node involvement in Hadhramout Governorate. Materials and methods This is a retrospective descriptive study of 170 cases of lymphomas retrieved from the archives of the National Oncology Center, Hadhramout, during the period between 2008 and 2013. The diagnosis was assessed with immunohistochemical results and categorized according to the WHO classification of lymphoid neoplasms. Results Out of 170 patients, 116 (68.2%) had NHL and 54 (31.8%) had HL. A male predominance was observed (103/170, 60.6%). B-cell lymphomas were the most frequent type of NHL (95/116, 81.9%) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was the most common pattern of NHL (58/95, 61.1%), followed by Burkitt's lymphoma (20/95, 21.1%). The distribution of HL showed predominance of nodular sclerosis classical HL (38/54, 70.4%). The proportion of lymph node involvement of lymphomas was higher than extranodal involvement, being seen in 91/116 cases (78.5%) of all NHLs and 49/54 cases (90.8%) of all HLs. Conclusion NHL is the most common type of malignant lymphoma, and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common pattern among all NHL types, whereas nodular sclerosis classical HL is the most common type of HL. The nodal involvement of malignant lymphoma is higher than extranodal involvement.