Association of gastric and Waldeyer's ring lymphoma: A molecular study

The coexistence of Waldeyer's ring and gastrointestinal non-Hodgkin's lymph omas at presentation is well known. Moreover, localized gastrointestinal re lapses following successful treatment of lymphomas of Waldeyer's ring and t hyroid lymphomas occurring after a prolonged disease-free interval have als o been described. We report two cases of concomitant lymphoma in Waldeyer's ring and stomach. On the basis of the molecular analysis of the immunoglob ulin heavy chain gene rearrangements, two different patterns of concomitant involvement by a lymphoma in Waldeyer's ring and in the gastrointestinal r egion seem to exist. One is represented by the preferential dissemination o f the lymphoma from one site to the other, the second by the apparently ind ependent growth of clonally unrelated lymphomas at each site. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.