[Study on differential diagnosis between MALT-type lymphoma and reactive lymphoid hyperplasia of the ocular adnexa].

Objective: To study the methods of differential diagnosis between mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) type lymphoma and reactive lymphoid hyperplasia in ocular adnexa.

Methods: The clinical, morphologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular biologic (polymerase chain reaction [PCR]) studies were performed on 29 patients with MALT-type lymphoma and 8 patients with reactive lymphoid hyperplasia of the ocular adnexa.

Results: 29 cases with MALT-type lymphoma expressed B-cell markers and but T-cell makers, whereas 8 cases of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia all expressed B and T cell markers and the positive rate of T-cell marker was up to 30%. immunohistochemistry staining showed 11 cases were positive for immunoglobin light chain (kappa or lambda), however it was positive in one chain of the immunoglobin in 15 cases of MALT type lymphoma by PCR. No significant difference in the clinical characteristics was observed between the MALT type lymphoma and reactive lymphoid hyperplasia in ocular adnexa.

Conclusion: Immunohistochemical analysis and PCR are helpful in confirming the diagnosis between the MALT-lymphoma and the reactive lymphoid hyperplasia.