Maligant Lymphoma in Celiac Disease

Smedby et. al. reported, in January of 2005, their examination of 55 cases of lymphoma in association with celiac disease (1). They found that 57% of these lymphomas did not originate in the intestines. They also found that 16 were B cell lymphomas, mostly of extra-intestinal origin, and 19 cases of T cell lymphomas of intestinal origin.

Similarly, Sonet et. al. report their retrospective study of 14 cases of lymphoma in association with celiac disease in which 4 cases were of B cell type. In fact, the literature is rife with reports of a significant minority of B cell lymphomas among celiac patients.

Clearly, a variety of lymphomas are overrepresented in the celiac population. If health care providers wish to help their lymphoma patients, they must take this information into account and become open to the potential benefits of dietary exclusion therapy. Too often, the possibility of celiac disease is trivialized or ignored while conventional, often ineffectual, lymphoma treatments are pursued. Such a narrow view results in a disservice to these patient groups.

Sources:

1: Smedby KE, Akerman M, Hildebrand H, Glimelius B, Ekbom A, Askling
J. Malignant lymphomas in coeliac disease: evidence of increased risks
for lymphoma types other than enteropathy-type T cell lymphoma.
Gut. 2005 Jan;54(1):54-9.

2: Sonet A, Theate I, Delos M, Montfort L, Mineur P, Driesschaert P,
Michaux L, Ferrant A, Bosly A. Related Articles, Links
Clinical and pathological features of 14 non-Hodgkin's lymphomas
associated with coeliac disease. Acta Clin Belg. 2004 May-Jun;59(3):143-51.