Primary malignant lymphomas localized in salivary glands

Biopsies from 25 patients with primary malignant lymphoma in the salivary region were investigated morphologically and the clinical findings were analysed. Cases showing myoepithelial sialadenitis or Sjögren's syndrome were not included. The tumour was localized in the parotid region in 21 cases and to the submandibular region in four cases. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was diagnosed on 21 biopsies and Hodgkin's disease on four: all patients were of stages I or II. The most frequent type of malignant lymphoma was the centroblastic-centrocytic type; sclerosis was found in all but one of these 15 cases. Polymorphic immunocytoma was diagnosed in two cases, centroblastic lymphoma in two cases and immunoblastic lymphoma in two cases. In eight patients, the lymphomas definitely originated in intraglandular lymph nodes; in 10 other patients, the lymphomas might have developed in intraglandular lymph nodes. It was not possible to determine the origin of the lymphoma in the other seven cases. The prognosis was relatively favourable.