title: Gastrointestinal lymphoma in Western Algeria: pattern of distribution and histological subtypes (retrospective study).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Primary gastrointestinal (GI) lymphomas (GIL) are uncommon diseases that can involve the whole GI tract. Considerable variation exists in the literature with respect to incidence of the various histological subtypes and sites of involvement. This study was undertaken to establish the anatomic distribution, histological subtypes and sites of GI lymphomas of patients from Western Algeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  The case records of 58 consecutive patients with GIL diagnosed at the Pathologies Departments of Algerian west region (the Military Hospital of Oran city and the Central University Hospital of Sidi Bel Abbes city) from January 2006 to December 2013 were retrospectively evaluated for epidemiology and histopathology report. All lymphomas were reclassified according to the WHO 2008 classification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 58 patients (39 male, 19 female) with mean age of 61 years and a range of 20-89 years were included in this study. Stomach was the most common site involved (70.7%). The commonest histological subtype was mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) B cell lymphoma (46.6%), followed by diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) (43.1%).The frequency ofHelicobacter pylori(HP) positivity differ between gastric and intestinal location P=0.003 and correlates with the histological type P=0.01.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This retrospective study of patients with GI lymphoma from Western Algeria illustrates the pattern of distribution of various common and rare histological subtypes. More studies are necessary to find a potential cause, risk factor or genetic mutation that can explain these specific characteristics of GIL.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, Health and Proteomics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, Djillali Liabes University, Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria.
authors.forename: Soumia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zeggai
authors.affiliation: Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, Health and Proteomics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, Djillali Liabes University, Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria.
authors.forename: Noria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Harir
authors.affiliation: Environment and Cancer Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Central University Hospital, Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria.
authors.forename: Abdenacer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tou
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University Regional Military Hospital, Ain Beida Oran, Algeria.
authors.forename: Miloud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Medjamia
authors.affiliation: Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, Health and Proteomics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, Djillali Liabes University, Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria.
authors.forename: Khaira
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Guenaoui
keywords: Gastrointestinal lymphomas (GIL); Western Algeria; anatomic distribution; histological subtypes