[Problems of differential diagnosis of lymphoma and celiac disease. A case report]

An association between celiac disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the small intestine has been recognized for many years. Coeliac disease is characterized by an enteropathy sensitive to gluten, malabsorption of food and partial or total villous atrophy. Also malignant lymphoma may present with malabsorption and mucosal lesion similar to that found in coeliac patients. The diagnosis of lymphoma in coeliac patients can be extremely difficult because the presenting symptoms and histological lesion are similar, but the presence of a cluster of symptoms such as abdominal pain malabsorption, weight loss in patients older than 40 years with a history of poorly responsive coeliac disease should raise a suspicion of malignancy. We present a case of 55 year-old man with malignant lymphoma and coeliac disease surgically treated in our Institute for intestinal obstruction.