[Primary lymphomas of the gastrointestinal tract: clinical picture].

Abstract

Approximately 5% of all lymphomas are located in the gastrointestinal tract. These lesions may be secondary manifestations of systemic lymphomatous disease, but there are also primary lesions that are not associated with superficial lymph node enlargement mediastinal adenopathy, liver and spleen involvement or hematologic alterations. Primary lymphomas may arise in the stomach or intestine. Small intestinal lesions may or may not be preceded by other types of intestinal pathology, such as celiac or inflammatory disease. The former cases are characterized by persistent diarrhea, malabsorption and weight loss. Abdominal pain and later nausea and/or vomiting are the most common presenting symptoms of lesions that arise in an already diseased bowel, palpable abdominal masses are present in approximately one third of these cases. Gastric lymphomas often presents with non-specific symptoms: cramp-like epigastric pain, anorexia and weight loss.