Primary and exclusive gingival localization of non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Case report

A case of primary and exclusive gingival localization of a non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) personally observed at the Surgical Out-patients Unit of the Department of Dentistry at the Umberto I Hospital in Rome, is described. A 71 year-old caucasian male was referred by his private dentist because of a severe pain at the soft tissue of the mandible even after dental, neurologic and parodontal treatments. At clinical examination, a severe gingival swelling in the symphysis region with hard bleeding, palpable lymph nodes and no important evidence in radiographic and CT examinations were found. After incisional biopsy and its examination, a diagnosis of NHL was made. Further examinations did not show metastasis dissemination. The patient was referred to the Hematology Department and after 4 chemotherapy cycles over 12 months, he completely recovered. After an introduction on NHL, the clinical case is described as well as how to make a correct diagnosis; moreover, the importance of the dentist in identifying diseases even not strictly related to oral cavity but whose signs and manifestations appear over there, is stressed.