Pre- and Postsurgical Biomagnetic Activity in Malt-Type Gastric Lesions. A case report

Abstract

To evaluate the biomagnetic activity of a low-grade mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT-) type gastric lymphoma, and to determine if this procedure could be an adjunct to endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in the assessment of the disease pre- and postsurgically. A 47-year-old female with a 2-year clinical history of a low-grade MALT-type gastric lymphoma associated with Helicobacter pylori was examined. The disease showed no histologic remission after eradication of the H. pylori infection and subsequent treatment with chemotherapy and the patient was classified as stage II EA. A decision for surgical resection was made. Biomagnetic waveform recordings were made in the target area before and after surgery and the Fourier analysis of these recordings was performed. The gastric lymphoma biomagnetic waveforms showed high amplitudes (1.8 pT) before and low amplitudes (0.6 pT) after resection. The corresponding Fourier analysis demonstrated that the maximum spectral power of the presurgical measurement was elevated (mean 235 +/- 847 pT2/Hz) compared with that obtained postsurgically (mean 725 +/- 89 pT2/Hz). The difference was of statistical significance ( p < 0.0001, t-test). Biomagnetic monitoring of gastric lymphoma, which is an entirely new diagnostic modality, could be a supplement to EUS for assessing remission or persistence of disease with medical treatment during follow up.