Regression of rectal MALT lymphoma after antibiotic treatment in a patient negative for Helicobacter pylori

A 53-year-old man was referred to our hospital with bloody stool. Barium enema study and colonoscopy revealed multiple small nodules on the anterior wall of the lower rectum. Biopsy specimens showed proliferation of atypical lymphoid cells forming the nodules. Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma was diagnosed on the basis of histologic and immunohistochemical examinations. No metastasis was detected in lymph nodes or distant organs, indicative of clinical stage I disease. Although the test results were negative for Helicobacter pylori, eradication therapy was performed. The lesion disappeared completely within 9 months after the triple antibiotic therapy. H. pylori eradication therapy may be a useful treatment option regardless of H. pylori status.