title: Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma of the salivary glands occurring in patients affected by Sjögren's syndrome: report of 6 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma of the salivary glands occurring in 6 patients affected by primary Sjögren's syndrome is reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical findings, histologic type, stage, treatment and outcome of the 6 patients have been revised.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all 6 cases the lymphoma was of the MALT type. Four patients had stage IE disease, 1 patient had stage IIE disease and 1 patient had stage IV disease. The patients received different treatments resulting in all cases in prolonged remission. After 7 years of complete remission 1 patient developed a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MALT lymphoma of the salivary glands is an indolent disease. Though the best therapy of this lymphoproliferative disorder remains to be established, prolonged remission has been obtained in our cases with different therapeutic approaches. We review the literature regarding the relationship between Sjögren's syndrome and MALT lymphomas and study the mechanisms which may be involved in the transformation from a lymphoepithelial lesion into a neoplastic disorder.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Università di Verona, Italia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Biasi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caramaschi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ambrosetti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carletto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mocella
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Randon
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Bambara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018442:Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome