title: Low-grade gastric B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT): a multifocal disease.
abstract: Gastrectomy specimens from five patients following gastroscopic biopsies which showed low-grade B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) were examined by serially sectioning and paraffin wax embedding using a 'swiss roll' technique. This procedure allowed the construction of a map of the specimen on which the distribution of the lymphoma could be plotted. In each case confluent lymphoma was identified. In addition small foci of lymphoma consisting of 1-4 lymphoid follicles surrounded by neoplastic centrocyte-like cells were seen. The positions of these 'micro-lymphomas' were plotted on the gastrectomy maps, showing multiple foci distributed throughout the gastric mucosa. The identification of these microscopic lesions may explain the development of local relapse, often after a long disease-free interval, in patients with gastric MALT lymphoma treated by partial gastrectomy where excision appears to have been complete. Patients treated in this way should, therefore, be followed-up indefinitely, with regular endoscopy and gastric biopsy, in order to identify early local disease relapse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histopathology, University College, Middlesex School of Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Wotherspoon
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Doglioni
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Isaacson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*