Diagnosis and management of primary malignant retroperitoneal lymphoma

Objective: To discuss the diagnosis and management of primary malignant retroperitoneal lymphoma. Methods: A retrospective search of 48 cases who were diagnosed pathologically as primary malignant retroperitoneal lymphoma during 1995-2005 in our hospital. Results: 8 cases underwent ultrasonic-guided needle biopsy, 5 of which were pathologically diagnosed, 3 were not; 40 cases were pathologically diagnosed by operation or intraoperative biopsy. 45/48 of cases underwent surgery, including 1 case for tumor excision, 29 cases for underwent tumor and multiple organs excision, 8 cases for palliative escision, 7 cases for laparotomy biopsy. 7 cases had postoperative complication, 1case died perioperative. 3 cases received chemotherapeutic management directly. Conclution: Surgical management is not the best choice for primary malignant retroperitoneal lymphoma. For those whose clinical sysnptom and image examining were suspect, minimally invasive procedures to get deep organ masses for the diagnosis should be taken, and the subsequent management should based on the histological diagnosis.