Angiocentric lymphomas of the palate: clinico-pathological considerations in 12 cases

Angiocentric lymphomas (AL) involving the mid-face are infrequent lesions. Their incidence seems to be higher in certain Asian and Latin American countries, where most of the reported series reveal a predominance of T-cell lineage and a high frequency of EBV-positive cells. The clinical and pathological features of 12 AL that affected the palate are presented. Immunophenotypic studies were performed in nine of these cases. Seven (77%) demonstrated T-cell lineage, one was of B-cell origin and one could not be classified. The high incidence of T-cell lesions in this and other studies supports the existence of geographical and possibly of etiological differences in these neoplasms.