Epidemiological, etiological, clinical and diagnostic aspects of primary bone lymphoma

Abstract

Background. Primary bone lymphoma (PBL) represents a malignant lymphoid cell neoplasm presenting with one or more bone lesions without nodal or extranodal involvement. It constitutes 7% of primary malignant bone tumors and is considered to have the best prognosis of all primary malignant bone tumors. Objective(s). To study the incidence of primary bone lymphoma, as well as the epidemiological, etiological, clinical and diagnostic characteristics to detect patients in the early stages. Materials and methods. An analytical, qualitative study was realized. The article involved both research of the specialized literature and processing of information within the research group. Patients were selected according to the inclusion criteria in the study. Subsequently, the obtained data were processed using electronic computerized evaluation techniques. Results. In the research group, PBL constituted 7% of the aggressive extranodal nonHodgkin lymphomas. The average age of diagnosis was 55 years with a slight female predominance. Hereditary exostoses- 5%, sarcoidosis-7%, AIDS-5%, trauma (35%) were incriminated as triggers of PBL. The most common was diffuse large B-cell lymphoma - 70%, followed by B-cell lymphoblastic - 20%. 80% of patients were diagnosed with primary stage IV. The clinical features of PBL were generally nonspecific, with osalgia being present in 100% of cases. The diagnosis of the disease is confirmed by histopathological and immunohistochemical examination. Conclusion(s). Primary bone lymphoma affects the working-age population and can develop in any part of the skeleton. In most cases, the etiology remains unclear. Most patients are diagnosed in the final stage of the disease, because the clinic is nonspecific and often creates confusion.