Mantle cell lymphoma is an uncommon non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In a period of four years, 13 cases of mantle cell lymphoma were diagnosed in our department, comprising 3.1% of all non-Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosed. The mean age of presentation was 52 years with a slight male preponderance. The disease was nodal in twelve and extra-nodal in tonsil in one. Five patients had bone marrow involvement. Five cases showed a nodular pattern on lymph node biopsy while the remaining eight had a diffuse pattern. Immunophenotyping showed positivity for CD20 and cyclin D1. Despite certain morphological similarity to other low-grade lymphomas, mantle cell lymphoma has a characteristic appearance of its own. It is more aggressive than other low-grade lymphomas and hence needs to be accurately diagnosed.
Malignant lymphoma, lymphocytic, intermediate differentiation, diffuse ; Pattern ; Five ; Lymphoma, Low-Grade ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin's

Low grade lymphomas are malignancies of predominantly small lymphocytes that typically have long median survival periods due to low proliferative rates. It is considered an indolent disease, but patients with low grade lymphoma can almost never be cured with conventional treatment. New low-grade lymphoma entities have been classified by the International Lymphoma Study Group (ILSG) and are also categorized into the Revised European American Lymphoma (REAL) classification. The REAL classification utilizes a multiparameter definition of clinico-pathologic and biologic entities. According to this classification, we investigated the incidence, various clinical characteristics, treatment outcome and prognostic factors of low grade lymphoma. Many clinical characteristics of low grade lymphoma in Korea differed from those of Western countries, especially in the incidence, therapeutic outcome and prognostic factors. In Korea, although the general incidence of low grade lymphoma is relatively low, the relative number of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (MALToma) is very high, and the overall survival rate is better than that reported of Western countries. Thus, further investigation on treatment outcome and prognosis of low grade lymphoma entities, other than mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, are warranted.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Human ; Immunophenotyping ; Lymphoma, Low-Grade/mortality/pathology/*therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Treatment Outcome

In order to evaluate the role of radiation therapy in the management of low-grade mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma of the stomach (MLS), in patients with no evidence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) or who had not responded to H. pylori eradication treatment, we analyzed the treatment outcome of patients who had received radiotherapy alone. Between Jan 1995 and May 2001, 6 patients with low- grade MLS were treated with radiotherapy alone. The median radiation dose was 30.6 Gy (range; 30 - 39 Gy) in a daily fractions of 1.5 - 1.8 Gy. Each patient had an endoscopic esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy with biopsy, 4 weeks after the completion of radiotherapy and every 6 months thereafter. A complete response was obtained in all patients. All patients were followed-up without evidence of disease, and no patient suffered a relapse. There was neither perforation nor hemorrhage of the stomach in any of the patients. No renal or hepatic toxicity were noted, and no secondary malignancies developed. In conclusion, radiotherapy should be considered as the preferred treatment method for low-grade MLS, in patients with no evidence of H. pylori infection, or who do not respond to antibiotic therapy, due to the significant benefits in gastric preservation and low morbidity.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Human ; Lymphoma, Low-Grade/*radiotherapy ; Lymphoma, Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue/*radiotherapy ; Male ; Middle Age ; Radiotherapy/adverse effects ; Stomach Neoplasms/*radiotherapy