Marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of the salivary gland arising in chronic sclerosing sialadenitis (Kuttner tumor)

We report a case of extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) type of the salivary gland arising in a background of chronic sclerosing sialadenitis. Chronic sclerosing sialadenitis is a common fibrosing chronic inflammatory lesion of the submandibular gland, which is thought to be the result of sialolithiasis, and is not associated with a systemic autoimmune disease. Salivary MALT lymphomas are typically associated with lymphoepithelial sialadenitis (LESA) in a patient with or without Sjogren's syndrome. Our case of salivary MALT lymphoma was neither preceded by Sjogren's syndrome nor accompanied by LESA. This case suggests that chronic inflammatory processes other than Sjogren's syndrome may provide a substrate for the development of MALT lymphoma.