Oral cavity non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma: Clinicopathological aspects

Abstract

Background: Although oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma is a major health problem in India, oral cavity non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) is very rare. The diagnosis of oral lymphomas may be challenging because frequently there is a low index of clinical suspicion, leading to misdiagnosis and/or delayed treatment. Aims and Objectives: To analyze clinicopathological aspects of patients with NHL of the oral cavity diagnosed at our institute. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective observational study. We included consecutive patients who were diagnosed with oral cavity NHL at our institute over the past 10 years. Results: Nine patients (six men and three women) were diagnosed with primary NHL of the oral cavity at our institute in the past 10 years. Oral tongue was the most common site followed by alveolus. All patients had presented with gradually increasing ulcerative mass in the oral cavity. None of the patients had B symptoms. Plasmablastic lymphoma was the most common type of NHL followed by diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Conclusion: Involvement of the oral cavity by lymphoma is rare. Plasmablastic lymphoma was the most common oral cavity NHL in our patients.