A Case of Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma in Nasopharynx and Thyroid Gland

Mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma refers to a type of marginal zone lymphomas, which represent a group of non-Hodgkin lymphomas originated from B lymphocytes of marginal zone. They are classified as extranodal MALT type (MALT lymphoma), splenic marginal zone B-cell lymphoma and nodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma according to clinical and therapeutic implications of the tumor. MALT lymphoma is the most common type of marginal zone lymphoma, and about 5-8% of all B-cell lymphomas are diagnosed as MALT lymphoma. MALT lymphomas are usually found in the gastrointestinal tract, mostly in the stomach associated with H pylori infection; the non-gastric MALT lymphoma can also be found in the salivary gland, lung, head and neck, ocular adnexa, skin, thyroid, or breast. However, the involvement of nasal cavity and nasopharynx is rare. Based on our recent experience and a review of related literature, we report a case of MALT lymphoma that occurred in the nasopharynx and thyroid gland, which were treated with localized radiotherapy. Key words: Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma ㆍ Nasopharynx ㆍ Thyroid gland