Objectives : This study elucidates number of features of primary Gastric Lymphoma (PGL) in Iraqi patients , including incidence among gastric malignancies, Signs & symptoms , Sex and age distribution, Gradings , layers involved , Macroscopical appearance , topographical and lymph node involvement, dimension of the lesion, growth pattern and treatment . An attempt was made to corelate the clinical , endoscopic and pathological findings in these patients . Methods: Over 6 years period from January 1995 to January 2001, 37 case of PGL were collected. All of them were endoscoped and multiple biopsies were taken from suspicious areas or lesions in the stomach. 21 patients were operated upon and the histopathological findings of the endoscopical biopsy and or the surgical specimen were reviewed . Results : 37 patients with primary gastric lymphoma were collected in 6 year period. 20 patients were females, 17 were males. The mean age of all patients was 45.1 years. 17 patients were of high grade , other 17 patients were of intermediate grade , and the last 3 patients were of low grade PGL.Helicobacter Pylori culture was positive in 75.6% of the patients.Distal parts of the stomach ( Antrum and pylorus) was the most frequent reion to be involved . Most of the lesions were fungating masses in appearance and growth pattern was exclusively of diffuse type. 21 patients were treated by surgery , Th others were beyond surgery Conclusion Primary gastric lymphoma (PGL) is increasing in our country. It is aproblem of middle age group.It is notalways simple to differentiate by clinical examination or endoscpy alone PGL from other malignant gastric tumors. With optimum treatment PGL gets better prognosis than that of mother malignant gastric tumors , especially if the diagnosis was made at an early stage . Probably PGL can be prevented by Helicobacter Pylori eradication

Primary Gastric Lymphoma

Objectives : This study elucidates number of features of primary Gastric Lymphoma (PGL) in Iraqi patients , including incidence among gastric malignancies, Signs & symptoms , Sex and age distribution, Gradings , layers involved , Macroscopical appearance , topographical and lymph node involvement, dimension of the lesion, growth pattern and treatment . An attempt was made to corelate the clinical , endoscopic and pathological findings in these patients . Methods: Over 6 years period from January 1995 to January 2001, 37 case of PGL were collected. All of them were endoscoped and multiple biopsies were taken from suspicious areas or lesions in the stomach. 21 patients were operated upon and the histopathological findings of the endoscopical biopsy and or the surgical specimen were reviewed . Results : 37 patients with primary gastric lymphoma were collected in 6 year period. 20 patients were females, 17 were males. The mean age of all patients was 45.1 years. 17 patients were of high grade , other 17 patients were of intermediate grade , and the last 3 patients were of low grade PGL.Helicobacter Pylori culture was positive in 75.6% of the patients.Distal parts of the stomach ( Antrum and pylorus) was the most frequent reion to be involved . Most of the lesions were fungating masses in appearance and growth pattern was exclusively of diffuse type. 21 patients were treated by surgery , Th others were beyond surgery Conclusion Primary gastric lymphoma (PGL) is increasing in our country. It is aproblem of middle age group.It is notalways simple to differentiate by clinical examination or endoscpy alone PGL from other malignant gastric tumors. With optimum treatment PGL gets better prognosis than that of mother malignant gastric tumors , especially if the diagnosis was made at an early stage . Probably PGL can be prevented by Helicobacter Pylori eradication