Spectrum of malignant lymphomas in Bahrain. Leitmotif of a regional pattern

OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinicopathologic features of malignant lymphomas in Bahraini patients.

METHODS: A retrospective hospital-based study was conducted. All new cases of malignant lymphoma diagnosed during the period January 1996 to December 2001 at the Salmaniya Medical Complex in Bahrain were included in the study.

RESULTS: Seventy-two cases met the inclusion criteria. This included 24 (33.3%) cases of Hodgkin's disease (HD) and 48 (66.7%) cases of Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL). A young age at presentation (median 20 years) mixed cellularity histology, lack of extra nodal involvement and rare marrow involvement characterized HD. The majority of NHL showed diffuse high or intermediate grade lesions. A high number of primary extra nodal neoplasms (41.7% of NHL) and frequent involvement of the gastrointestinal tract with Helicobacter pylori-associated gastric lymphomas were notable features among NHL cases. Immunohistochemical staining in 30 cases showed 26 cases (86.7%) of B cell and 4 cases of T cell origin.

CONCLUSION: The study highlights common features that distinguish malignant lymphoma reported from countries of the Arabian Gulf region. This pattern distinguishes them from the disease encountered in the Western world.