Pulmonary MALT Lymphoma: Clinical, Molecular, and Therapeutic Aspects

REVIEW ARTICLE


Marie Wislez^1, Raphaël Borie^2, Catherine Thieblemont^3, Marie-France Carette^4, Martine Antoine⁵ and Jacques Cadranel¹

Affiliations: ¹Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation, Centre de Compétence des Maladies Rares Pulmonaires, Hôpital Tenon, AP-HP, Faculté de Médecine Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris VI, Paris, France; ²Service de Pneumologie, Hôpital Bichat, AP-HP, Université Diderot-Paris VII, Paris, France; ³Service d'Hémato-Oncologie, Hôpital Saint-Louis, AP-HP, Université Diderot-Paris VII, Paris, France; ⁴Service de Radiologie, Hôpital Tenon, AP-HP, Faculté de Médecine Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris VI, Paris, France and ⁵Service d'Anatomie Pathologique, Hôpital Tenon, AP-HP, Faculté de Médecine Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris VI, Paris, France

ABSTRACT

This general review aims to clarify the pathophysiological, diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic features of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma.

MALT lymphoma is the most common type of pulmonary lymphoma. It develops in MALT and, in most cases, it is slow-growing and presents as an asymptomatic chronic alveolar opacity visible on radiography. The prognosis of the disease is excellent, and the current treatments available are discussed in this review (decision not to treat, surgery, single-agent chemotherapy).

Keywords: primary pulmonary lymphoma (PPL), mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT), chronic alveolar opacity.

Correspondence: Jacques Cadranel, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation, Hôpital Tenon, 4 rue de la Chine 75970, Paris Cedex 20, France. Tel: +33 1 56 01 65 31; e-mail: jacques.cadranel@tnn.aphp.fr