Published online Mar 28, 2006. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i12.1945
Revised: August 20, 2005
Accepted: August 24, 2005
Published online: March 28, 2006
AIM: To describe the clinical and histological characteristics of a group of adults with small-bowel nodular lymphoid hyperplasia (NLH).
METHODS: Patients were searched for five years in pathology records of our institution. The biopsy material was reassessed using strict histopathological criteria. Clinical data were obtained from medical records.
RESULTS: Small-bowel NLH was diagnosed in 18 cases. The female: male ratio was 2∶1. The most frequent symptoms were diarrhea (72%), involuntary weight loss (72%) and abdominal pain (61%). Nine patients (50%) had immunodeficiency. Small-bowel bacterial overgrowth was found in three (17%) cases. At small-bowel NLH diagnosis, three (17%) had associated lymphoma: two intestinal and one extra-intestinal lymphomas. In two patients with villous atrophy and anti-endomysial antibodies the diagnosis of celiac disease was established. Giardia lamblia infection was found in only one patient with hypogammaglobulinemia (Herman’s syndrome).
CONCLUSIONS: NLH is uncommon in adult patients. Associated diseases are immunodeficiency and lymphoid tissue malignancies.