Endoscopic findings in mantle cell lymphoma with gastrointestinal tract involvement.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a rare disease with a poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to determine clinical and endoscopic characteristics of patients with GI MCL.

METHODS

Clinical features of 19 patients with GI MCL were reviewed along with the endoscopic findings on 27 anatomical lesions.

RESULTS

The initial presenting symptoms were abdominal pain (n = 7, 36.8%), GI tract bleeding (n = 5, 26.3%), dyspnea (n = 2, 10.5%), indigestion (n = 1, 5.3%), diarrhea (n = 1, 5.3%), cervical lymphadenopathy (n = 1, 5.3%), tonsilar mass (n = 1, 5.3%), and no symptoms (n = 1, 5.3%). On endoscopy, in 19 patients with 27 lesions, the anatomic locations of the lesions were: stomach, n = 2 (10.5%); stomach and colon, n = 7 (36.8%); terminal ileum and colon, n = 1 (5.3%); colon, n = 9 (47.4%). There was 1 fungating case (3.7%), 4 ulcerative cases (14.8%), 9 infiltrative cases (33.3%), and 13 polypoid cases (48.1%).

CONCLUSIONS

The endoscopic findings in GI MCL are variable, with common presenting manifestations of abdominal pain and GI bleeding.