Endoscopic tissue diagnosis of gastric involvement in the staging of non-hodgkin's lymphoma

Abstract
The results of radiologic and endoscopic examinations and endoscopic biopsies of the stomach and duodenum in the staging of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) were assessed in 147 patients. Radiologic results were positive for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 36 of 147 patients, with diagnosis of NHL from biopsy specimens of 16 of these 36 patients. Results of endoscopic studies were abnormal in 35 of 147 patients and 20 of these 35 patients also had biopsy specimens positive for NHL. Twenty-four patients (16.3%) had NHL involvement of the gastric and/or duodenal mucosa demonstrated by biopsy material. More than 15% of the patients whose primary tumors were nodal, and 19% of those patients with extranodal involvement also had lymphoma involvement of the stomach and/or duodenum. According to the results of the endoscopic biopsies, 15.1% (10 of 66 patients) had Stages I and II, and 17.2% (14 of 81 patients) had Stages III and IV of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.