The gastric MALT lymphoma. An unforeseen model for studying the pathogenesis of the limphomas

The gastric MALT lymphoma. An unforeseen model for studying the pathogenesis of the lymphomas

Recenti Prog Med. 2009 Jun

Savio A.
Unità Funzionale di Istopatologia, Laboratorio di Patologia Clinica ed Istocitopatologia, Ospedale S. Orsola Fatebenefratelli, Brescia. antonellasavio@bresciaonline.it

MALT lymphoma is a low-grade lymphoma originating from the mucosa associated lymphoid tissue. It is the third most frequent non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphomas. One third of the cases is primary gastric. The causal association between Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric MALT lymphoma is proved by numerous clinical and experimental studies. The most dramatic evidence supporting a pathogenetic role for H. pylori in gastric MALT lymphoma is remission of the tumour following eradication with antibiotic therapy. However, the evolution of a H. pylori infection towards lymphoma is an exceptional event which takes place probably due to the concurrence of host, environmental and bacterial strain factors. Gastric MALT lymphoma is currently the only malignant neoplasia that can be cured by a simple antibiotic therapy. In early stage cases the Helicobacter pylori eradication is the first line therapy as it obtains stable remissions in most of the cases. Surgical treatment of this disease has been completely abandoned. The role of chemio and radiotherapy is limited to the few cases non-responders to the antibiotic therapy. This paper offers a wide and updated review of the literature about gastric MALT lymphoma. Practical points for the clinical management are also given, in keeping with the European Guidelines that will be shortly published.

PubMed

Primary Low-grade and High-grade Gastric MALT-lymphoma Presentation: A Systematic Review.

Primary Low-grade and High-grade Gastric MALT-lymphoma Presentation: A Systematic Review.
J Clin Gastroenterol. 2009 Sep 9

Zullo A, Hassan C, Andriani A, Cristofari F, Cardinale V, Spinelli GP, Tomao S, Morini S.
*Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy daggerHaematology, "Nuovo Regina Margherita" Hospital double daggerDepartment of Experimental Medicine, "La Sapienza" University, Rome, Italy.

GOALS: To assess the clinical and endoscopic presentation of primary gastric lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Remission rate and long-term survival in patients with gastric lymphoma mainly depend on disease stage at diagnosis. Series reporting clinical and endoscopic presentation of gastric lymphoma are generally small and heterogeneous.

STUDY: Systematic review with pooled-data analysis assessing clinical and endoscopic presentation of primary gastric lymphoma.

RESULTS: Data regarding 2000 patients were collected. Overall, males were slightly more prevalent, alarm symptoms were absent in near half of the patients, lymphoma was diagnosed in a stage less then I in one-third of the patients, and Helicobacter pylori infection was present in 88.8% of considered patients. At endoscopy, the ulcerative type was the most frequent presentation, although low-grade lymphoma was diagnosed on normal/hyperemic gastric mucosa in 9% of cases. Patients with high-grade lymphoma presented alarm symptoms (anemia and/or melena and/or hemorrhage, persistent vomiting, weight loss), an exophytic or ulcerative lesion, a stage III-IV, and a H. pylori negative status more frequently than low-grade lymphoma cases.

CONCLUSIONS: Our pooled-data analysis showed that gastric lymphoma is still disappointingly diagnosed in an advanced stage in a large number of patients. This is probably due to presence of nonspecific symptoms at initial clinical presentation and/or a normal appearing mucosa at endoscopic observation in the early stages.

Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins