Table of Contents
Definition / general | Case reports | Microscopic (histologic) description | Microscopic (histologic) images | Positive stains | Negative stains | Molecular / cytogenetics descriptionCite this page: Gulwani, H. MALT lymphoma. PathologyOutlines.com website. http://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/smallbowelMALT.html. Accessed February 18th, 2019.
Definition / general
- Tumor of Mucosa Associated Lymphoid Tissue; a type of marginal cell lymphoma
- More common in stomach than small bowel
- Often relapses in GI tract only
- In adults, occurs anywhere in gut but only rarely in appendix and esophagus
- Initially a type of hyperplasia, then monoclonal T cell dependent (from H. pylori infection), then T cell independent
- Initial stages may be "cured" by antibiotics or surgery
Case reports
- 38 year old man with ileal MALT lymphoma with large cell component that regressed spontaneously (Gut Liver 2010;4:117)
- 50 year old woman with MALT related multiple lymphomatous polyposis (World J Gastroenterol 2007;13:1453)
- Ileal MALT lymphoma causing massive gastrointestinal haemorrhage (Postgrad Med J 2009;85:163)
Microscopic (histologic) description
Low grade:
High grade:
- Small or monocytoid lymphocytes with irregular nuclei that form lymphoepithelial lesions
- Reactive germinal centers and plasmacytoid cells are common
High grade:
- Resembles diffuse large B cell lymphoma but may have Reed-Sternberg like cells
Positive stains
Molecular / cytogenetics description
- t(11;18) involving c-Myc is common