[Gastrointestinal manifestation of malignant systemic diseases]

Malignant diseases of the lymphoreticular system can become manifest within the gastrointestinal tract, either isolated, involving solitary organs, in generalized form, or as diffuse polyposis. The ratio of primary to secondary lymphomas is quoted as being 1:2 to 1:3. The clinical picture is characterized by their spread. Abdominal pain, loss of weight, anorexia, nausea and vomiting, including even gastrointestinal hemorrhage, are the most frequently observed symptoms. The involvement of the gastrointestinal tract in Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin lymphomas of, on average, some 10%, is confirmed in our own material over the past 7 years. From a total of 580 malignant lymphomas, 47 cases were confirmed, endoscopically and bioptically, to have gastrointestinal involvement, primary lymphomas accounting for 1/3, secondary for 2/3. Gastric lymphomas accounted for 59.6%, small-bowel lymphomas for 25.5%, a large-bowel involvement was seen in 14.9%. The centrocytic-centroblastic and lymphoblastic lymphomas predominate.