Primary extranodal marginal zone B cell lymphoma of the uterus: a case study and review of the literature

Extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) within the female genital tract is unusual, accounting for 1.5% of extranodal NHL, mostly in the ovaries. Primary NHLs of the uterus and cervix are rare, comprising only 0.54%–0.64% of all extranodal NHLs, most occurring in the cervix.1 Marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) of the uterus is extremely rare, with only seven cases reported in the literature.2–8 We report a rare case of an extranodal marginal zone B cell lymphoma arising from the MALT tissue of the endometrium. A 77-year-old woman presented with utero-vaginal prolapse, urinary frequency and nocturia; she had no B symptoms. Examination revealed a cystocoele and a cervical prolapse. There was no palpable lymphadenopathy or hepatosplenomegally and she underwent vaginal hysterectomy and pelvic floor repair. The uterus and cervix measured 8.3×2.6×2.2 cm. The endometrium was 0.2 cm thick and the myometrium 1.6 cm thick; both appeared normal. Microscopically, the endometrium and superficial myometrium contained a nodular infiltrate of monotonous, small to medium-sized, lymphoid cells (figure 1A). The cells …