Clinical studies of the initial clinical findings of malignant lymphoma arising in the oral and maxillofacial region

Thirteen patients with malignant lymphoma (ML) consulted our department during the 7 years from June 1990 through May 1997. The initial clinical symptoms of the patients were analyzed retrospectively.The results were as follows:1. ML accounted for 8.7% of all malignant tumors of the oral and maxillofacial region at our department.2. The subjects consisted of 12 males and 1 female. Their mean age was 62 years.3. Of the 13 patients, 11 were pathologically confirmed as having non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and 2 as having Hodgkin's disease.4. There were 3 nodal cases and 10 extranodal cases.5. The primary site of the tumor was the cervical lymph nodes in 3 cases, the gingiva in 6, the hard and soft palate in 3, and the buccal submucosa in 1.6. Only one case was clinically diagnosed as malignant lymphoma. The initial clinical diagnosis in the remaining 12 cases was other malignant tumors in 6 cases, osteomyelitis in 3, benign tumor in 2, and lymphoadenitis in 1.