Malignant lymphoma of bone

Malignant lymphoma of bone is rare. In many cases, its diagnosis is delayed because of unspecific clinical signs and equivocal radiographs. Therapy in general is multimodal, including surgery and radio- and chemotherapy. Our objective was to demonstrate the clinical and radiological aspects of the lesion to optimize diagnostic approaches and to evaluate treatment and prognostic factors. Thirty-six patients with malignant lymphoma of bone who were surgically treated over a 15-year-period were retrospectively reviewed. Seventeen of them showed a singular bone non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) which was classified as primary lymphoma of the bone (PLB). In 13 cases, dissemination of the disease with multiple bone or visceral involvement was apparent (dNHL). Six patients suffered from bone involvement due to Hodgkin's disease (HD). Surgical treatment was indicated for diagnostic reasons or complications due to the disease. Radiation and chemotherapy were part of the oncological treatment. The patients' mean age was 57 years. The main symptom in malignant bone lymphoma in 33 patients was pain, with an average duration of 8 months. In the secondary cases, bone involvement appeared on average 57 months after the initial diagnosis. An osteolytic pattern was seen in 58% of the lesions. Soft-tissue involvement was seen in 71% of cases (PLB 80%, dNHL 73%, HD 40%) and was the primary diagnostic sign associated with this disease. The 5-year survival rate was 61% (PLB 88%, dNHL 38%, HD 50%). Multiple vs solitary bone involvement was the most significant factor in the prognosis. Extraskeletal involvement significantly decreased survival. No correlation was found between gender, age, location, or histological subtypes and survival. Bone involvement in NHL appears late in the extraskeletal disease. The clinical appearance is nonspecific, and the delay between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis is often long. One of the major radiologic signs is the existence of a soft-tissue tumor surrounding the bone with little or no bone involvement on plain films. Treatment generally is conservative, based on the stage of the disease. Local radiation with or without systemic chemotherapy should be used. The long-term survival is favorable, but dependent on the stage of the disease and the amount of bone involvement.