Abstract:
BACKGROUND : Although uncommon, mature small B-cell
lymphomas may arise in the
oral/maxillofacial area and oral pathologists must be aware of the key characteristics
of these neoplasms to perform an accurate diagnosis. In this manuscript, we attempted
to integrate the currently available data on the clinicopathological features
of follicular lymphoma (FL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), extranodal marginal zone
lymphoma of mucosa-associated
lymphoid tissue (MALT-L),
and chronic lymphocytic
leukemia/ small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) affecting these anatomical regions.
METHODS : An updated descriptive literature review was carried out and a detailed
electronic search was done in multiple databases to gather all cases affecting the oral/
maxillofacial region and palatine tonsils.
RESULTS : We observed that MALT-L
was the most frequently reported subtype, followed
by FL, MCL, and CLL/SLL. The palate was affected in a high proportion of
cases and the most usual clinical presentation was an asymptomatic swelling. MALT-L
and CLL/SLL neoplastic cells were strongly associated with small salivary glands. FL
showed no gender preference, while MCL and CLL/SLL were more prevalent in males
and MALT-L
in females. Overall, cases were more common in elderly individuals.
Patients’ treatment and outcome varied, with MCL being the most aggressive neoplasm
with a dismal prognosis in comparison to FL and MALT-L.
CONCLUSION : Despite the poor documentation in many of the cases available, especially
regarding the microscopic and molecular features of tumors, this review demonstrated
that the oral mature small B-cell
lymphomas investigated share similar clinical
presentation, but carry different prognostic significance, demanding an accurate diagnosis.