Ocular adnexal marginal zone B cell lymphoma: a clinical and pathologic study of 23 cases

To better characterize ocular adnexal marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MZL-MALT), we analyzed the clinical and pathologic features of 23 patients (11 men, 12 women, median age 66 years). The tumor was confined to one ocular structure in 18 cases (conjunctiva, n=8; orbit, n=8; or lacrimal gland, n=2). Concurrent extraorbital disease was detected by the staging procedure in five patients, and preferentially involved other MALT sites. Histogenetic B cell marker studies, available in 13 cases, showed an early post-germinal center (GC) phenotype (BCL-6(-)/IRF4(+)/CD138(-)) (n=5) or a late post-GC phenotype (BCL-6(-)/IRF4(+)/CD138(+)) (n=8), which could be helpful for discrimination from other types of small-B cell lymphoma. BCL10 was positive in 12 of 13 patients tested, with nuclear (n=4) or cytoplasmic (n=8) immunoreactivity. These staining patterns ruled out t(1;14)(p22;q32) translocation. T(11;18)(q21;q21), another MZL-MALT-specific translocation, was detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in four of 15 patients tested. Clinical outcome was excellent but the overall relapse rate was 26.1% with a median follow-up of 39 months (range 6-132 months). Regardless of the disease stage at diagnosis, combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy seemed to be more effective than chemotherapy alone in ocular adnexal MZL-MALT, as persistent complete remission was achieved in nine patients receiving combination therapy, while six of 14 patients treated with chemotherapy alone relapsed.