Diagnosis of intra-oral MALT lymphoma using seminested polymerase chain reaction

Diagnosis of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma based on histological examination alone is difficult. We report three patients with histologically suspected MALT lymphoma who developed lymphoproliferative lesions of the sublingual gland. Seminested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis applied to formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded specimens showed clonal rearrangement of immunoglobulin heavy chain genes in two patients and a polyclonal characteristic in one. The clinical findings and Southern blot analysis confirmed the accuracy of the diagnosis. The molecular method described can be applied routinely to processed specimens to obtain helpful information for the diagnosis of low-grade malignancies of lymphoproliferative disorders, such as MALT lymphoma.