PRIMARY PULMONARY B-CELL LYMPHOMAS OF THE MALT-TYPE

The malignant B-cell lymphoma of the MALT-type shows significant diffe rences from nodal lymphomas with respect to its biological, molecular genetic, and clinical properties. According to the proposal from the I nternational Lymphoma Study Group for a Revised European-American Clas sification of Lymphoid Neoplasms, MALT-B-cell lymphomas have been defi ned as an extranodal subgroup of marginal zone B-cell lymphomas and ma y have lower and higher grade types. We have applied this classificati on to 24 cases of primary B-cell lymphomas of the lung. These tumors s howed histopathologic features of low (n = 20) and/or high grade neopl asms (n = 4) recapitulating the structure of the acquired bronchus-ass ociated, lymphoid tissue (BALT). According to our experience the diagn osis of BALT-type B-cell lymphoma, is both practically feasable and re producible not only for surgical material but even for biopsy specimen s.