Palate Lymphoma: CT Findings

Abstract

OBJECTIVE. Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) in the palate are very rare. We aimed to investigate the CT appearance of lymphoma in the palate to improve diagnostic quality and review the literature on NHL. MATERIALS AND METHODS. The study retrospectively included patients with histopathologically confirmed lymphoma who were treated at our hospital between 2008 and 2015. We examined CT features, including tumor location, appearance, margins, and involvement of the surrounding tissues. RESULTS. Records were available for eight cases of lymphoma over the study period. Of these, two were in the soft palate and six in the hard palate. Median age at presentation was 63 years. Seven of the eight were diffuse large B cell lymphoma and one was T cell lymphoma. Hard palate lymphoma on CT showed bone destruction and spread to the maxillary arch and maxillary sinuses, whereas soft palate lymphoma spread to the surrounding parapharyngeal area and did not show bone destruction. CONCLUSION. We describe CT findings of palate lymphoma, which are important for treatment planning.