Primary malignant lymphoma of the gastro-intestinal tract: a clinicopathological study of 24 cases.

Twenty-four cases of primary lymphoma of the gastro-intestinal tract were diagnosed during the period 1970 to 1991. There was a preponderance of males and the male to female ratio being 1.4:1. Age ranged from 9-70 years, mean 32.2 years. Small intestine was involved in 50% cases, large bowel in 9 cases (37.5%) and stomach in 3 cases (12.5%). There were 5 cases (20.8%) of Hodgkin's disease and 19 cases (79.2%) were of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. All cases of gastric lymphoma complained of epigastric pain, weight loss and vomiting. In lymphoma of small intestine, 8 patients complained of pain associated with vomiting and 6 patients complained of distension of abdomen. In large bowel lymphoma, pain in right iliac fossa was complained by 4 patients and bleeding per rectum by 3 patients. Out of all the 24 cases, changes in bowel habit were noted in 15 patients and occult blood was positive in 13 cases. Palpable abdominal mass was noted in 14 patients. Histomorphologically, all the 3 cases in the stomach were of lymphocytic lymphoma diffuse type. Out of 19 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 15 were of lymphocytic lymphoma and 4 were of histiocytic lymphoma.