Clinical study of 31 patients with primary gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present paper was to investigate the clinical, endoscopic and histological features of 31 patients with gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma to enable correct, early stage diagnosis. METHODS: A retrospective study was undertaken of 31 patients with gastric MALT lymphoma. The cases were examined immunohistologically with anti-CD(20CY) and CD(45RO) antibodies for further diagnosis. Helicobacter pylori infection was also detected with modified Giemsa staining. RESULTS: Patients with MALT lymphoma were aged between 22 and 73 years (mean, 45.0 years), and the male:female ratio was 11:20. The patients presented with non-specific symptoms, but chronic epigastric pain was the common symptom in a large proportion of the cases. The gastric smaller curvature was involved in 83.9% of cases (26/31) and in 13/31 cases (41.9%) it was confined the antrum. Under endoscopy, large and deep ulcers were similar to cancers in the majority of patients. Only 29.0% of patients were diagnosed by endoscopy on first examination. CD(20CY) were expressed in all cases and CD(45RO) expressed in only one case among 10 cases of indefinite diagnosis. Helicobacter pylori infection was found in 87.1% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that primary gastric MALT lymphoma has unique clinical, endoscopic and histological features. The diagnosis for primary gastric MALT lymphoma was delayed not only due to the non-specific symptoms but also due to lack of attention to its features. Endoscopy and submucosal multiple biopsy were the principal diagnostic tools in patients with gastric MALT lymphoma. CD(20CY) and CD(45RO) immunological staining are recommended, especially for patients with indefinite diagnosis of gastric MALT lymphoma.