Primary salivary gland lymphomas: A case series

Abstract

Salivary gland lymphomas are rare, constituting 1.7% of all salivary gland neoplasms. They are uncommon before 50 years of age predominantly involving parotid gland. The most common histopathological forms of non Hodgkin lymphoma include mucosa associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma followed by follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B cell lymphoma. A retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary health care centre over a span of six years on patients with salivary gland lymphomas. Their clinicopathological features, staging and treatment modalities were determined. The mean age was 63.3 years with four males and two females. All patients had parotid gland involvement with one showing simultaneous involvement of submandibular gland. Histopathologically there were three cases of low grade B-cell lymphoma, two cases of high grade lymphoma and one case of Hodgkin lymphoma. Three patients were found in early stage and three in advanced stage disease. Lymphomas must be considered in the differential diagnosis of a salivary gland swelling although they are quite uncommon. They predominantly involve parotid gland. The selection of treatment modalities is based on histologic subtyping and staging of lymphoma with better prognosis as compared to other extranodal non Hodgkin lymphoma.