Oral Malignant Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Retrospective Single-Center Study

Selene Barone,Stefano Parrotta,Francesco Bennardo,Federica Pasqua,Martina Ferrillo,Alessandro Antonelli,Marianna Salviati,Caterina Buffone

doi:10.3390/ijerph19052605

Selene Barone, Stefano Parrotta + Show 6 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052605

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Abstract

This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the incidence of oral non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in patients referred to the Academic Hospital of the Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro from 2002 to 2020. A retrospective single-center study was performed. Patients with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of oral NHL were included. Demographic data and clinical parameters were digitally recorded, focusing on the NHL-specific localization and symptomatology. The study sample was evaluated by analyzing descriptive statistics with absolute and relative frequencies. A total of 26 patients with intraoral NHL were identified with a progressive increase in NHL occurrence during the observation period. Clinical manifestations included swelling/mass (80.7%), eventually associated with pain and ulcerations. The most common localizations were in soft tissues: buccal mucosa (38.4%), tongue (19.2%), gingiva (11.5%), cheek (11.5%). Oral NHL is rare. Clinical manifestations were unspecific, so a misdiagnosis could occur. The extranodal B-cell form of oral NHL, particularly diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, was the most common frequent oral NHL in this southern Italian population, with a progressively increased occurrence in almost 20 years.

Highlights

Academic Editor: Takaaki TomofujiLymphomas are a malignant neoplastic proliferation of the immune system and represent the second most common primary malignancy in the head and neck [1]
NHL incidence is rising in many countries; in the head and neck area, it varies from 1% to 17% [2]
From 1994, based on the Revised European-American Classification of Lymphoid Neoplasm (REAL), lymphomas are currently classified using the World Health Organization (WHO) classification that recognizes over 20 different subtypes of NHL and consider morphology, immunophenotype, genetic and clinical features [3,4,5]

Summary

Introduction

Lymphomas are a malignant neoplastic proliferation of the immune system and represent the second most common primary malignancy in the head and neck [1]. They are classified in Hodgkin-lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin-lymphoma (NHL). NHL incidence is rising in many countries; in the head and neck area, it varies from 1% to 17% [2]. From 1994, based on the Revised European-American Classification of Lymphoid Neoplasm (REAL), lymphomas are currently classified using the World Health Organization (WHO) classification that recognizes over 20 different subtypes of NHL and consider morphology, immunophenotype, genetic and clinical features [3,4,5]. Most lymphomas show heterogeneous extranodal manifestations [7,8]

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