MALT lymphoma of the paranasal sinuses and the hard palate: report of two cases and review of the literature

Abstract

Extra-nodal low-grade B-cell lymphomas arising in the gastrointestinal tract recapitulate the structure and features of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, called "MALT lymphomas." In the head and neck region except for the salivary glands the occurrence of this neoplasm is very rare. The authors report on two such cases of MALT lymphoma, one of the hard palate in a 71-year-old woman and the other of the paranasal sinuses in a 69-year-old woman with the history of chronic sinusitis. Such chronic inflammatory conditions can induce the development of MALT lymphoma. Clinical elaboration should include computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the assessment of tumor extension, bone destruction, lymph node involvement and differentiation of mucosal thickening from tumor mass. Biopsy for histopathological diagnosis is mandatory. Treatment should be surgery, irradiation or combined radio-chemotherapy depending on the stage of the disease.