Exploration of Digestive Diseases

Table 2. Diagnostic evaluation of suspected gastric MALT lymphoma.

Diagnostic test	Clinical purpose
Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with multiple biopsies	Primary diagnostic procedure used to identify suspicious gastric lesions and obtain tissue for histologic analysis
Histopathologic examination	Confirms lymphoma by demonstrating lymphoepithelial lesions and dense B-cell infiltrates in the gastric mucosa
Immunohistochemistry (CD20, CD5, CD10, cyclin D1)	Defines B-cell phenotype and helps differentiate MALT lymphoma from other lymphoid malignancies
Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)	Detects chromosomal translocations such as t(11;18)(q21;q21)/API2-MALT1
Cross-sectional imaging (CT or PET/CT)	Evaluates disease extent and identifies nodal or extranodal involvement

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This table shows that the diagnostic evaluation of gastric MALT lymphoma requires integration of endoscopic, histopathologic, immunophenotypic, and molecular testing. These modalities collectively establish the diagnosis, evaluate disease stage, and guide treatment decisions. MALT: mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue.

Declarations

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Department of Hematology and Oncology at Mercy Hospital Joplin for academic support.

Author contributions

VK: Conceptualization, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing. JNP: Conceptualization, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing. SMD: Supervision, Conceptualization, Writing—review & editing. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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