Clinical features of non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in Jamaica

ABSTRACT

The clinical features of 95 patients with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL) seen at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) during a 10-year period are reviewed. The overall male female ratio was 1.31, but in patients under 50 years of age the disease occurred equally in men and women whereas, over 50, there were slightly more men than women (1.81). The majority of patients presented with advanced disease. Lymphadenopathy was the most common presenting feature. Hypercalcaemia, leukaemia spill and skin lesions occurred frequently, and most patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma showed a diffuse histological pattern. These features are typical of adult T-cell lymphoma/lukeaemia (ATL), and may reflect the high incidence of human T-cell lymphoma virus (HTLV) in Jamaica. Anaemia, hypoalbuminaemia and infections occurred commonly at presentation or during the course of the disease. Important differences are noted between the clinical features of NHL in Jamaica and elsewhere (AU)