Primary non-Hodgkin' s lymphoma of the pancreas:report of six cases

Objective To evaluate the diagnosis and treatment of primary non-hodgkin’ s lymphoma (PNHL) of the pancreas. Methods The therapeutic result of 6 cases admitted from January 1980 to March 2000 was reviewed retrospectively. Results The lesion was located in the head of the pancreas in 2 cases and the body and/or tail in 4, respectively. Clinical manifestations included epigastric discomfort, loss of weight, abdominal mass and jaundice. Two cases underwent Whipple’ s procedure and distal pancreatectomy respectively, the other 4 underwent laparotomy and biopsy. B cell non-Hodgkin’ s lymphoma of 5 cases and T cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma of one were verified by pathology. One patient lost follow-up, the other 5 patients survived 58, 49, 22, 13 and 4 months respectively. Conclusion The clinical manifestation and radiological features of PNHL of the pancreas are not specific. Comprehensive therapy including surgery is beneficial to the long-term survival of patients with PNHL of the pancreas. 4 refs.