Malignant lymphomas primarily involving the gastrointestinal tract

Primary gastrointestinal lymphoma (PGIL) develops mostly on the basis of lymphoplasmocellular infiltration following an alteration of gastric or intestinal mucosa; its evolution is enhanced by a simultaneous defect of cell-mediated immunity. The paper deals with clinical, biochemical and immunological findings observed in 22 patients with PGIL during a course of 10 years. Some illustrative patient summaries are reported in a more detailed description. In histological terms, the cases were classified according to the Kiel classification. There seems to be an unfavourable prognosis of the disease, the average survival being about 10 months and cytostatic treatment is not tolerated well. The particular features of PGIL important for the diagnosis and treatment are pointed out.