[Extranodular manifestations of generalized malignant lymphomas].

90 cases of malignant lymphoma in the autopsy material of the Institute of Pathology, University of Zurich (1970-1974) have been analyzed with reference to extranodular manifestations. 8% of the malignant lymphomas showed primary extranodular manifestations. The organs involved were (in decreasing order of importance) spleen, bone marrow, liver, kidneys, central nervous system, pancreas, adrenal glands, skin, lung and stomach. In 12% of cases only the lymphnodes were affected, whereas in the rest of the cases (80%) lymphnodes as well as extranodular organs were involved. In 78% of the malignant lymphomas the disease had had its origin in a solitary lymphnode or in a group of lymphnodes, the cervical lymphnodes predominating (30%). In 22% of the cases, extranodular organs (primarily the intestinal tract) had been the site of the primary clinical manifestations. The average time of survival was 17 months, including all grades of differentiation of the proliferating tumor cells. For the more unfavourable reticulum-cell type of malignant lymphoma the corresponding period was only 12.5 months.