Extra-nodal B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of the head and neck: A study of 68 cases

ObjectivesThe objectives of this study are to describe the distinctive characteristics of extra-nodal B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (BNHLs) located in the head and neck in a series of patients, to discuss patient survival, and to compare the oral versus the non-oral locations of the extra-nodal BNHLs of the head and neck.Material and methodsWe studied 68 patients with BNHL of the head and neck. We analyzed the clinical and survival characteristics. Additionally, we performed Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analyses to determine the influence of the different factors on survival.ResultsThis study included 68 non-nodal lymphomas; 30 lymphomas (31.9%) were located intraorally, with the gingiva as the most frequent location. The oral lymphomas in stages 1 and 2 showed a prevalence of 60% (18/30). The Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that the stage of disease and the oral versus non-oral extranodal lymphomas were significant prognostic factors (p < 0.05). However, the multivariate Cox analysis indicated that only complete remission and oral versus non-oral location were significant prognostic factors (p < 0.01).ConclusionsThe gingiva was the most common location of the intraoral lymphomas. Complete remission and non-oral location were the only significant survival factors in the multivariate Cox regression analysis.