[Primary digestive tract lymphoma in central region of Tunisia: anatomoclinical study and therapeutic results about 153 cases]

Transabdominal ultrasonographic features in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal lymphoma

Background

Gastrointestinal (GI) lymphoma is a challenging disease. We aimed to study and characterize the different endoscopic and transabdominal ultrasonography (TUS) features of gut lymphoma and to assess whether TUS has a complementary role to endoscopy in the diagnosis of GI lymphoma.

Methods

This study was conducted on 21 patients with GI lymphoma, attending the GI endoscopy and liver unit, Endemic Medicine Department and Oncology Department in Kasr El Aini Hospital, Cairo University. Patients were subjected to GI endoscopy (upper endoscopy & colonoscopy) and transabdominal ultrasonography. The diagnosis was finally based on histopathology of core biopsies (obtained either endoscopically or by ultrasonography) and immuno-histochemistry.

Results

In all 21 patients with GI lymphoma included in this study, TUS could accurately determine the site of disease affection compared to endoscopy which is considered the gold standard for site localization. The main TUS pathologic features detected were increased wall thickness of the affected bowel segment with a mean value of (15.6±5.9 mm) and loss of layering pattern in 16 patients (76%). While the most common endoscopic features were ulcers and mass lesions accounting for 38% of the patients for each. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was found in 19 patients (90%). Because of endoscopic biopsies were conclusive in 14 patients (67%), TUS guided biopsy was resorted to in 7 patients and was diagnostic in all of them.

Conclusions

Transabdominal ultrasonography is a useful tool in the diagnosis of GI lymphoma that is complementary to conventional diagnostic endoscopic procedures.

Gastrointestinal lymphoma in Western Algeria: pattern of distribution and histological subtypes (retrospective study)

BACKGROUND

Primary gastrointestinal (GI) lymphomas (GIL) are uncommon diseases that can involve the whole GI tract. Considerable variation exists in the literature with respect to incidence of the various histological subtypes and sites of involvement. This study was undertaken to establish the anatomic distribution, histological subtypes and sites of GI lymphomas of patients from Western Algeria.

METHODS

The case records of 58 consecutive patients with GIL diagnosed at the Pathologies Departments of Algerian west region (the Military Hospital of Oran city and the Central University Hospital of Sidi Bel Abbes city) from January 2006 to December 2013 were retrospectively evaluated for epidemiology and histopathology report. All lymphomas were reclassified according to the WHO 2008 classification.

RESULTS

A total of 58 patients (39 male, 19 female) with mean age of 61 years and a range of 20-89 years were included in this study. Stomach was the most common site involved (70.7%). The commonest histological subtype was mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) B cell lymphoma (46.6%), followed by diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) (43.1%).The frequency of Helicobacter pylori (HP) positivity differ between gastric and intestinal location P=0.003 and correlates with the histological type P=0.01.

CONCLUSIONS

This retrospective study of patients with GI lymphoma from Western Algeria illustrates the pattern of distribution of various common and rare histological subtypes. More studies are necessary to find a potential cause, risk factor or genetic mutation that can explain these specific characteristics of GIL.

Transcatheter Arterial Embolization for Gastrointestinal Bleeding Secondary to Gastrointestinal Lymphoma

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effectiveness of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding caused by GI lymphoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The medical records of 11 patients who underwent TAE for GI bleeding caused by GI lymphoma between 2001 and 2015 were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTS

A total of 20 TAE procedures were performed. On angiography, contrast extravasation, and both contrast extravasation and tumor staining were seen in 95 % (19/20) and 5 % (1/20) of the procedures, respectively. The most frequently embolized arteries were jejunal (n = 13) and ileal (n = 5) branches. Technical and clinical success rates were 100 % (20/20) and 27 % (3/11), respectively. The causes of clinical failure in eight patients were rebleeding at new sites. In four patients who underwent repeat angiography, the bleeding focus was new each time. Three patients underwent small bowel resection due to rebleeding after one (n = 2) or four (n = 1) times of TAEs. Another two patients underwent small bowel resection due to small bowel ischemia/perforation after three or four times of TAEs. The 30-day mortality rate was 18 % due to hypovolemic shock (n = 1) and multiorgan failure (n = 1).

CONCLUSION

Angiogram with TAE shows limited therapeutic efficacy to manage GI lymphoma-related bleeding due to high rebleeding at new sites. Although TAE can be an initial hemostatic measure, surgery should be considered for rebleeding due to possible bowel ischemic complication after repeated TAE procedures.

Localized primary gastrointestinal diffuse large B cell lymphoma received a surgical approach: an analysis of prognostic factors and comparison of staging systems in 101 patients from a single institution

Background

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) represents the most common histological subtype of primary gastrointestinal lymphoma and is a heterogeneous group of disease. Prognostic characterization of individual patients is an essential prerequisite for a proper risk-based therapeutic choice.

Methods

Clinical and pathological prognostic factors were identified, and predictive value of four previously described prognostic systems were assessed in 101 primary gastrointestinal DLBCL (PG-DLBCL) patients with localized disease, including Ann Arbor staging with Musshoff modification, International Prognostic Index (IPI), Lugano classification, and Paris staging system.

Results

Univariate factors correlated with inferior survival time were clinical parameters [age >60 years old, multiple extranodal/gastrointestinal involvement, elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase and β2-microglobulin, and decreased serum albumin], as well as pathological parameters (invasion depth beyond serosa, involvement of regional lymph node or adjacent tissue, Ki-67 index, and Bcl-2 expression). Major independent variables of adverse outcome indicated by multivariate analysis were multiple gastrointestinal involvement. In patients unfit for Rituximab but received surgery, radical surgery significantly prolonged the survival time, comparing with alleviative surgery. Addition of Rituximab could overcome the negative prognostic effect of alleviative surgery. Among the four prognostic systems, IPI and Lugano classification clearly separated patients into different risk groups. IPI was able to further stratify the early-stage patients of Lugano classification into groups with distinct prognosis.

Conclusions

Radical surgery might be proposed for the patients unfit for Rituximab treatment, and a combination of clinical and pathological staging systems was more helpful to predict the disease outcome of PG-DLBCL patients.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12957-015-0668-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

[Primary small intestinal lymphoma: epidemiological, histological and therapeutic transition in Tunisia]

INTRODUCTION

Primary small intestinal lymphoma (PSIL) is the second Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) of the digestive tract (after gastric NHL).

PURPOSE

To evaluate during the past 28 years the epidemiological, anatomoclinical and therapeutic changes of PSIL in Tunisia through an acquired experience of more than a quarter of a century.

METHODS

Our retrospective study included patients with histologically confirmed small intestinal lymphoma from 1981 to 2008 in Tunisia at Salah Azaiz Institute. The cohort of 210 patients was divided into two groups: A group from 1981 to 1992 (152 patients) and B group from 1993 to 2008 (58 patients). We analysed the epidemiological, anatomoclinical, histological, and therapeutic characteristics.

RESULTS

We observed a significant decrease in the annual incidence of PSIL but also a significant transition of diffuse immunoproliferative small intestinal disease (IPSID) also known as "Mediterranean" PSIL, which were progressively replaced by "Western" lymphomas. Laparotomy with or without a debulking surgery, largely performed in group A, has disappeared at the cost of a primary chemotherapy (p < 0.001). Five-year actuarial global and relapse free survivals were respectively 60.5 and 57.3%.

CONCLUSION

PSIL in Tunisia were subjected to a triple transition: epidemiological, histological and therapeutic.

Cancer pain management in resource-limited settings: a practice review

Pain in cancer is a common and burdensome symptom with different causes but in a significant number of cases it is undiagnosed and undertreated because of lack of skills for its assessment. Pain has significant negative impact on the patient and, therefore, it needs to be managed urgently and appropriately. In resource-limited settings, there are several barriers and challenges to pain management but even in these circumstances pain can be well managed with planned and innovative use of resources and if the World Health Organization public health system approach is used to ensure opioid availability.