Paying more than lip service to an oral lesion: a case of plasmablastic lymphoma

Non- Hodgkin lymphoma of the lips: A rare entity

AIM

To investigate clinico-pathological features of lymphoma of the lips, and review the literature.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Retrospective analysis and review of English literature, 1996-2016.

RESULTS

Analysis included 23 cases, 7 new cases and 16 from literature, 12 M: 11 F, age 7-82 years. Four occurred in children, mean age 10.1; 19 in adults, mean 61.1 years. The lower lip was involved in the majority of cases (16, 69.56%). 14 (60.87%) were isolated to the lips, 8 (34.78%) were multifocal. Nine (39.13%) occurred in association with Sjogren's syndrome, of which one also had Hashimoto thyroiditis. IgG4-related disease and HIV were reported in one case each. The lip salivary glands were involved in most cases (19, 82.6%); 3 (13.6%) showed only cutaneous involvement. The typical presentation was single or multiple nodules (15, 65.21%), with surface ulceration in only two (8.69%). Constituent symptoms were absent in all cases, paresthesia was reported in one (4.34%). The majority (18, 78.26%) was extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma - mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (EMZB-MALT), and one case each was mantle cell, NK-T cell, CD30 positive and plasmablastic lymphoma.

CONCLUSION

The lips seem to have a unique pattern of non-Hodgkin lymphoma dominated by EMZB-MALT lymphoma, rarely other types. In more than half, neither Sjogren's syndrome nor other chronic inflammation was identified. Lesions tend to present as asymptomatic slowly progressing, non-ulcerated submucosal masses. Lymphoma should be considered even in the absence of constituent symptoms, as most cases showed none. Although the number of reported cases is rather small, disease course is usually prolonged and prognosis seems to be good.