Primary Extranodal Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas: A First Tertiary Care Experience from Punjab, North India

Background  Primary extranodal lymphomas are less frequently encountered and difficult to diagnose in routine practice. The histopathological and immunohistochemical studies are essential in addition to clinical details to diagnose. The incidence is varied in different parts of India along with variation in histopathological spectrum. Methodology  The clinical features and histopathological findings of patients diagnosed with primary extranodal lymphoma over 3-year period were retrieved from archives of pathology department and analyzed. Results  During the 3-year study period, a total of 135 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphomas were evaluated, and of these, 41.4% (56/135) of cases presented with primary extranodal involvement. The mean age of primary extranodal lymphoma presentation was 61.3 ± 17.5 with M:F ratio of 1:1.1 Most common extranodal site involved was gastrointestinal tract 32.1%, 18/56 (small intestine [17.8%, 10 cases] and large intestine [8.9%, 5 cases]). Non-Hodgkin lymphomas of B cell type were the predominant subtype (48/56, 85.7%), while 8/56 (14.2%) cases were of T cell lineage. Of the B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma diffuse, large B cell lymphoma was the predominant subtype constituting ~83.3% (40/48). Conclusion  Primary extranodal lymphomas exhibit varied histomorphological and clinical presentation. The present study is first such analysis from Punjab that intends to compare with studies from other parts of India.