Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL! uncommonly involve the vagina. In this study,
14 NHL involving the vagina are reported. Eight cases were stage IE or I-I
E and are presumed to be primary. The mean age of these eight patients at p
resentation was 42 years (range, 26-66 yrs), and four of eight patients com
plained primarily of vaginal bleeding. Histologically, all eight neoplasms
were diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), Clinical follow up ranged from
1.8 to 18 years. Six of eight patients were alive without evidence of disea
se at the last follow up (range, 2.8-21 yrs), one patient died of unrelated
causes at 9 years, and one patient died from NHL at 1.8 years. In six pati
ents vaginal involvement was part of systemic disease at diagnosis, either
stage IIIE or IV. The mean patient age at the time vaginal involvement was
detected was 65 years (range, 49-82 yrs). Four of six patients had vaginal
bleeding. Five neoplasms were DLBCL and one tumor was B-cell small lymphocy
tic lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Clinical follow up for these pat
ients ranged from ? weeks to 13 years. Two patients were free of disease af
ter treatment at 4.5 and 13 years, two patients were alive with progressive
NHL, one patient died of NHL, and one patient was recently diagnosed. The
authors conclude that low-stage (presumably primary) vaginal NHL are DLBCL,
tend to occur in younger women, and cause vaginal bleeding. High-stage NHL
involving the vagina are usually DLBCL, tend to affect older women, and ar
e relatively mon heterogeneous clinically and histologically, but also usua
lly cause vaginal bleeding.