Duodenal follicular lymphomas share common characteristics with mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas.
BACKGROUND
Follicular lymphomas occasionally arise in the extra-nodal organs and are frequently found in the duodenum. They are often localised tumours with multiple polyps around the ampulla of Vater.


OBJECTIVE
To examine a IgH/bcl-2 hybrid gene and VH gene to investigate the nature of the lymphoma cells and how they differ from nodal follicular lymphomas and MALT lymphomas.


METHODS
Of 40 patients reported previously, 35 with duodenal follicular lymphoma were studied in detail with respect to clinicopathological characteristics.


RESULTS
37/40 patients were in clinical stage I (n = 30) or stage II (n = 7). Clonal immunoglobulin gene rearrangement was detected in 53.3% of examined cases, and rearrangement of IgH/bcl-2 gene at the major break point was detected in 27% of cases. Three of 8 examined cases were VH4 (38%); 2 out of them were VH4-34. As VH4 deviation is one of the common characteristics of MALT lymphomas and 2/3 were identical, duodenal follicular lymphomas have a similar aetiology to MALT lymphomas. Clinical course was also similar to that of MALT lymphomas.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that duodenal follicular lymphomas have intermediate characteristics of MALT lymphomas and nodal follicular lymphomas.
Sato
Y
Y
Department of Pathology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medical, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciencies, Okayama, Japan.
Ichimura
K
K
Tanaka
T
T
Takata
K
K
Morito
T
T
Sato
H
H
Kondo
E
E
Yanai
H
H
Ohara
N
N
Oka
T
T
Yoshino
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18; D004379:Duodenal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D019254:Genes, bcl-2; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D018442:Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region