COMPARISON BETWEEN SUBMUCOSAL (EXTRA-NODAL) AND NODAL NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA (NHL) IN THE ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL REGION

Fifty-two cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in the oral and maxill ofacial region, comprising 31 submucosal (extra-nodal) and 21 cervical node NHLs, were investigated. The patients' ages ranged from 5 to 86 years, with a bimodal age distribution among young people below 12 yea rs of age (average 8 years) and in those aged 30 years or older (avera ge 60.3 years). The male-to-female gender difference ratio was 1.3:1. Patients presented with swelling as the major symptom. Histologically, diffuse, large cell malignant lymphoma was the most frequent type and 67.9% of lymphomas were of intermediate malignancy as defined by the Working Formulation for Clinical Usage. All submucosal lymphomas showe d diffuse proliferation patterns, although follicular proliferation wa s identified in 5 of the 21 nodal lymphomas. Immunohistochemistry show ed that the B-cell type was predominant, especially in nodal lymphomas .