Clinicopathological analysis of oral diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, NOS: A systematic review

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, NOS (DLBCL NOS) is the commonest extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosed in the oral and maxillofacial region. However, few studies are currently available and its prognostic determinants remain undefined.

To analyse the available data on oral DLBCL NOS and to describe its clinicopathological features, identifying potential prognostic factors.

An electronic systematic search was performed using multiple databases with a specific search strategy in April 2018. All reports describing DLBCL NOS involving the oral cavity and jaw bones with sufficient clinicopathological information were assessed.

Sixty-three publications were included in the study, comprising 122 cases. Oral DLBCL NOS was found predominantly in elderly males (61.5%), and most often presented as an asymptomatic swelling of the gingiva. Patients commonly were HIV-negative (36.1%), with few reports describing EBV-positive cases (four cases/3.3%). Only eight cases presented B symptoms and most cases were classified as stage I or II (48.4%). CHOP therapy was the main treatment option (24.5%) and the overall 5-year survival rate achieved 83%. Males and advanced Ann Arbor stage patients presented significantly lower survival rates in the univariate analysis, but no significance was found in the multivariate model.

Oral DLBCL NOS is an aggressive malignancy, but with a high survival rate.