MALT lymphoma

MALT lymphoma is a form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma(NHL) involving the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, usually of the stomach.

Gastric MALT lymphoma is frequently associated (72-98%) with chronic inflammationas a result of the presence of Helicobacter pylori (Parsonnet et al, 1994). The initial diagnosis is made by biopsyof suspicious lesions on esophagogastroduodenoscopy(EGD, upper endoscopy).

If the disease is limited to the stomach (which is assessed with computed tomography), then 70-80% of patients will be cured by treatment with antibioticeradication of H. pylori (Bayerdorffer et al, 1995). In contrast, if the disease has spread or has been refractory on antibiotics, chemotherapymay need to be considered. A t(11;18)(q21;q21) chromosomal translocation, giving rise to a AP12-MLT fusion gene, is predictive of poor response to eradication therapy (Liu et al, 2001).

References

• Bayerdorffer E, Neubauer A, Rudolph B, Thiede C, Lehn N, Eidt S, Stolte M. Regression of primary gastric lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue type after cure of Helicobacter pylori infection. MALT Lymphoma Study Group. Lancet 1995;345:1591-4. PMID 7783535.
• Liu H, Ruskon-Fourmestraux A, Lavergne-Slove A, Ye H, Molina T, Bouhnik Y, Hamoudi RA, Diss TC, Dogan A, Megraud F, Rambaud JC, Du MQ, Isaacson PG. Resistance of t(11;18) positive gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma to Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy. Lancet 2001;357:39-40. PMID 11197361.
• Parsonnet J, Hansen S, Rodriguez L, Gelb AB, Warnke RA, Jellum E, Orentreich N, Vogelman JH, Friedman GD. Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric lymphoma. N Engl J Med 1994;330:1267-71. PMID 8145781.

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It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MALT+lymphoma Wikipedia article MALT lymphoma.