[Malignant non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the stomach (author's transl)]

Between 1970 and 1978 467 malignant non-Hodgkin lymphomas were newly registered by the St. Gallen-Appenzell cancer registry. Among these 23 (4.9%) were primary gastric lymphomas. Among the necropsy material between 1970 and 1978 23 patients (15.6%) were observed with secondary gastric involvement among 147 generalised malignant non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Among the 23 patients whose malignant lymphomas were investigated by use of gastric resection specimens 10 were in clinical stage IE at the time of operation, the other 13 were in stage IIE. Macroscopically there was an uncharacteristic picture of these tumours which were frequently localised in the antrum and ulcerated in most cases. Histologically 19 cases had diffusely growing malignancy. Four tumours showed nodular or follicular structures. Histiocytic and immunoblastic (n = 14 and 13, respectively) forms were the most frequently occurring malignant lymphomas. The diagnosis of malignant lymphoma in biopsy material could only be verified in 4 out of 12 patients investigated preoperatively by gastroscopy. Histological typing of the lymphomas was not possible in most cases. When there is a suspicion of malignant lymphoma macroparticle biopsies should be performed.