{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]],"date-time":"2026-04-15T09:05:39Z","timestamp":1776243939365,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]],"date-time":"2026-04-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776211200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Diagnostics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Objective: Primary extranodal lymphomas of the head and neck region are relatively rare and represent a biologically distinct subset. The diagnosis and differential diagnosis of head and neck lymphomas are important and deserve special attention. The aim of the present study was to retrospectively evaluate patients diagnosed with primary head and neck lymphomas at the Department of Pathology between January 2020 and January 2026. Histopathological subtypes, localization, relative frequencies, and overall survival were analyzed. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 31 cases diagnosed with lymphoma involving the head and neck region. Medical records were reviewed. Histopathological slides were re-evaluated under light microscopy by experienced pathologists. All cases were classified according to the current World Health Organization (WHO) classification of tumors of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues. An extensive immunohistochemical panel was applied. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software (version 27.0; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: The study group included 31 patients with head and neck lymphoma. The most common histological type was diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (54.8%). Other histological subtypes included follicular lymphoma (FL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), extranodal NK\/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL), anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). The most common location was the tonsil (38.7%). Other locations included the nasopharynx, oral cavity, nasal cavity, salivary glands, and thyroid. Epstein\u2013Barr virus (EBV) positivity was detected in two patients (6.5%), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection was identified in two patients (6.5%). At the time of the last follow-up, 27 patients (87.1%) were alive, whereas four patients (12.9%) had died. The mortality rate was 12.9%. The median overall survival was 28 months (95% CI: 10\u201345). Conclusions: Malignant lymphoma should be considered when evaluating head and neck masses, and histopathological assessment of the affected tissue remains the cornerstone of diagnosis.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/diagnostics16081168","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]],"date-time":"2026-04-15T08:11:18Z","timestamp":1776240678000},"page":"1168","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Clinicopathological Features of Extranodal Head and Neck Lymphomas"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"F\u00fcruzan Kacar","family":"D\u00f6ger","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology, Ayd\u0131n Atat\u00fcrk State Hospital, Ayd\u0131n 09020, Turkey"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1031-6853","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"B\u00fc\u015fra","family":"Ekinci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology, Ayd\u0131n Adnan Menderes University, Ayd\u0131n 09100, Turkey"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ye\u015fim","family":"Ba\u015fal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Otolaryngology, Ayd\u0131n Adnan Menderes University, Ayd\u0131n 09100, Turkey"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"340","DOI":"10.1016\/j.anndiagpath.2005.09.020","article-title":"Extra nodal lymhomas of the head and neck","volume":"9","author":"Vega","year":"2005","journal-title":"Ann. Diagn. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1347","DOI":"10.4103\/jcrt.JCRT_213_20","article-title":"Lymphomas of the head-and-neck region","volume":"17","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Cancer Res. Ther."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1016\/j.anorl.2014.07.005","article-title":"Extranodal lymphoma of the head and neck: A 67-case series","volume":"132","author":"Picard","year":"2015","journal-title":"Eur. Ann. Otorhinolaryngol. Head Neck Dis."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.4103\/ijc.IJC_1267_20","article-title":"Primary extranodal lymphomas: Five-year experience from a tertiary care center of North","volume":"61","author":"Mishra","year":"2024","journal-title":"Indian J. Cancer"},{"key":"ref_5","unstructured":"WHO Classification of Tumours Editorial Board (2024). WHO Classification of Haematolymphoid Tumours, IARC. [5th ed.]."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103","DOI":"10.1080\/16078454.2020.1865667","article-title":"Hodgkin lymphoma involving extranodal sites in head and neck: Report of twenty-nine cases and review of three-hundred and fifty-seven cases","volume":"26","author":"Akhtar","year":"2021","journal-title":"Hematology"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"201","DOI":"10.1016\/j.oooo.2024.09.007","article-title":"Prognostic and survival factors in head and neck extra-nodal non-Hodgkin\u2019s lymphoma","volume":"139","year":"2025","journal-title":"Oral Surg. Oral Med. Oral Pathol. Oral Radiol."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"869","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijom.2010.03.029","article-title":"Head and neck non-Hodgkin\u2019s lymphoma: A 20-year demographic study of 381 cases","volume":"39","author":"Tirgary","year":"2010","journal-title":"Int. J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5871","DOI":"10.1007\/s00277-024-06141-9","article-title":"Primary head and neck lymphoid neoplasms in adolescents and young adults: Demographics, distribution and survival outcomes","volume":"103","author":"Wei","year":"2024","journal-title":"Ann. Hematol."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"649","DOI":"10.1007\/s00428-019-02543-7","article-title":"Lymphomas of the head and neck region: An update","volume":"474","author":"Martinez","year":"2019","journal-title":"Virchows Arch."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"96","DOI":"10.1007\/s12105-017-0802-5","article-title":"Update from the 4th Edition of the World Health Organization Classification of Head and Neck Tumours: Hematolymphoid Tumours","volume":"11","author":"Brown","year":"2017","journal-title":"Head Neck Pathol."},{"key":"ref_12","first-page":"1834","article-title":"Non-Hodgkin\u2019s lymphoma: A review","volume":"30","author":"Singh","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Fam. Med. Prim. Care"},{"key":"ref_13","first-page":"1057","article-title":"Non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the Waldeyer\u2019s Ring","volume":"53","author":"Salplahta","year":"2012","journal-title":"Rom. J. Morphol. Embryol."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.1016\/j.oraloncology.2017.01.011","article-title":"Head and neck lymphomas: A 20-year review in an Oral Pathology Unit, Johannesburg, South Africa, a country with the highest global incidence of HIV\/AIDS","volume":"67","author":"Alli","year":"2017","journal-title":"Oral Oncol."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.1053\/j.semdp.2014.12.001","article-title":"Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated lymphoid lesions of the head and neck","volume":"32","author":"Auerbach","year":"2015","journal-title":"Semin. Diagn. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"113661","DOI":"10.4251\/wjgo.v17.i12.113661","article-title":"Clinical characteristics and prognostic analysis of three hundred and nineteen cases of primary gastrointestinal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma","volume":"17","author":"Ma","year":"2025","journal-title":"World J. Gastrointest. Oncol."},{"key":"ref_17","first-page":"200","article-title":"Immunohistochemical methods for predicting cell of origin and survival in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with rituximab","volume":"29","author":"Meyer","year":"2011","journal-title":"Clin. Oncol."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"275","DOI":"10.1182\/blood-2003-05-1545","article-title":"Confirmation of the molecular classification of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma by immunohistochemistry using a tissue microarray","volume":"103","author":"Hans","year":"2004","journal-title":"Blood"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5219","DOI":"10.1007\/s00405-023-08206-3","article-title":"Current evidence on diagnosis and treatment of parotid gland lymphomas: A systematic review","volume":"280","author":"Bramati","year":"2023","journal-title":"Eur. Arch. Otorhinolaryngol."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"323","DOI":"10.1016\/j.annpat.2009.07.006","article-title":"Lymphoid lesions of the head and neck","volume":"29","author":"Costes","year":"2009","journal-title":"Ann. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_21","first-page":"124","article-title":"EBV Positive Mucocutaneous Ulcer (EBVMCU): Single Center Series of Three Cases and Review of Literature","volume":"51","author":"Fei","year":"2021","journal-title":"Ann. Clin. Lab. Sci."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"227","DOI":"10.1007\/s00428-022-03414-4","article-title":"New concepts in EBV-associated B, T, and NK cell lymphoproliferative disorders","volume":"482","author":"Swerdlow","year":"2023","journal-title":"Virchows Arch."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4811","DOI":"10.1177\/00031348221111512","article-title":"Thyroid Lymphoma: Case Series Review","volume":"89","author":"Rezkallah","year":"2023","journal-title":"Am. Surg."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.1002\/path.6380","article-title":"Primary thyroid B-cell lymphoma: Molecular insights into its clonal evolution and relapse","volume":"265","author":"Tzioni","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"78410","DOI":"10.18632\/oncotarget.19240","article-title":"Sites of extranodal involvement are prognostic in patients with stage 1 follicular lymphoma","volume":"8","author":"Shastri","year":"2017","journal-title":"Oncotarget"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1638","DOI":"10.1002\/ajh.26737","article-title":"Lymphoma: 2023 update on diagnosis and management","volume":"97","author":"Jacobsen","year":"2022","journal-title":"Am. J. Hematol."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"60","DOI":"10.1016\/j.humpath.2021.10.001","article-title":"Mantle cell lymphoma involving tonsils: A clinicopathologic study of 83 cases","volume":"118","author":"Tashakori","year":"2021","journal-title":"Hum. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"631","DOI":"10.1007\/s12105-021-01391-9","article-title":"Blastoid Mantle Cell Lymphoma of the Palate: Report of a Rare Aggressive Entity and Review of the Literature","volume":"16","author":"Georgaki","year":"2022","journal-title":"Head Neck Pathol."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"991","DOI":"10.1007\/s12105-020-01176-6","article-title":"Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma with Oral Manifestation: A Series of Four Cases and Literature Review","volume":"14","author":"Fontes","year":"2020","journal-title":"Head Neck Pathol."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.1007\/s00428-022-03412-6","article-title":"Extranodal T- and NK-cell lymphomas","volume":"482","author":"Feldman","year":"2023","journal-title":"Virchows Arch."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.1007\/s12105-025-01751-9","article-title":"Head and Neck Classic Hodgkin, T and NK Lymphomas with Eosinophilia","volume":"19","author":"Danielson","year":"2025","journal-title":"Head Neck Pathol."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3825","DOI":"10.1002\/cncr.25138","article-title":"Hodgkin lymphoma involving extranodal and nodal head and neck sites: Characteristics and outcomes","volume":"116","author":"Iyengar","year":"2010","journal-title":"Cancer"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"781","DOI":"10.1016\/j.adaj.2024.07.011","article-title":"A rare development of classical Hodgkin lymphoma in the head and neck region: Case report and review of the literature","volume":"155","author":"Pereira","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Am. Dent. Assoc."}],"container-title":["Diagnostics"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2075-4418\/16\/8\/1168\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]],"date-time":"2026-04-15T08:24:35Z","timestamp":1776241475000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2075-4418\/16\/8\/1168"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]]},"references-count":33,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4]]}},"alternative-id":["diagnostics16081168"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/diagnostics16081168","relation":{},"ISSN":["2075-4418"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2075-4418","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]]}}}