Publication

Abstract : Introduction: Primary extranodal lymphomas (pENL) are a group of lymphomas arising from tissues other than lymph nodes and are a highly heterogenous group of lymphoproliferative disorders. The incidence of pENL is increasing and is probably due to improved diagnostics. This study was undertaken to ascertain the clinical and pathological characteristics of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma from a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study of histologically proven Non Hodgkin lymphoma patients, conducted during the period January 2015 to December 2017 in the Department of Medical Oncology, Omega Hospitals, Hyderabad, India. Detailed clinical history, laboratory reports, imaging and histopathological reports were obtained from the medical records. All cases were classified based on morphologic and immunophenotypic criteria according to World Health Organization 2008 classification. Results: Primary extranodal non Hodgkin lymphoma constituted 32.2% (38/118) of all Non Hodgkin lymphomas. The mean age of presentation was 47.2 years. Majority (68.4%) had Stage I & II disease. The most common site of extranodal lymphoma was the Gastro intestinal tract (36.8%) followed by Head and neck region (26.3%). The most common histopathological type was Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (47.4%). Conclusion: The study showed that the primary extra nodal Non hodgkin lymphomas constituted almost 1/3rd of all NHLs & is comparable to data from other parts of India. Hence NHL must be strongly suspected in patients with extranodal disease and an appropriate pathological and immunophenotypic evidence will clinch the diagnosis.