Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of Waldeyer's ring

From 1970 to 1980, 171 consecutive cases with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) of Waldeyer's ring were admitted to this Institute. The cases were reviewed to evaluate whether involvement of Waldeyer's ring might represent a distinct clinicopathologic entity. Adequate pathologic staging was performed in 86% of cases. All slides were reviewed, and the histologic diagnosis given according to the Rappaport classification, the Kiel classification, and the recent Working Formulation of NHL for Clinical Usage. Waldeyer's ring alone was involved in 12.3% of the cases at presentation; regional nodes were positive in one-third (35.7%), and distant involvement was detected in half of the patients (52%). The tonsils represented the most frequent site of involvement by NHL within Waldeyer's ring. Treatments employed were heterogeneous, but most of the patients with stage I-II received radiotherapy alone. The present series shows that the association of involvement of Waldeyer's ring and the stomach by NHL occurs in less than 10% of the cases. Treatment results and patterns of recurrence fail to differentiate NHL involving Waldeyer's ring from those of other sites. Prognosis remains related to the classical variables and is independent of the site of onset.