[Thyroid lymphoma: a not so unusual disease]

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pathology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Primary thyroid lymphoma (PTL) is a rare malignancy.
• An increasing incidence of PTL has been noted recently.
• Distinguishing PTL from other thyroid cancers is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review PTL cases diagnosed at our institution.
• To analyze trends in PTL incidence and presentation.
• To evaluate diagnostic intervals and treatment strategies.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of six primary thyroid lymphoma cases.
• Analysis of presenting symptoms, diagnostic timelines, and histological subtypes.
• Evaluation of treatment modalities including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.

Main Results:

• An increase in PTL incidence was observed in the last two years.
• Compression was the universal presenting symptom.
• The mean diagnostic interval ranged from 5 to 150 days.
• Centroblastic pattern was the most frequent histology, with increasing MALT lymphoma cases.
• Surgery was used for compressive symptoms; radiotherapy/chemotherapy were preferred for advanced stages.

Conclusions:

• PTL incidence appears to be increasing.
• Early diagnosis is essential, given the common compressive symptoms.
• Multimodality treatment, often involving radiotherapy and chemotherapy, is standard for PTL.