Patterns of Lymphoma in North Kordofan State of Sudan

Background: Lymphoma is a type of cancer that originates in the lymphatic system, which is a crucial part of the body’s immune system. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), lymphoma is classified morphologically, immunophenotypically and genetically into Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The aim of this study was to assess various patterns of lymphoma types in north Kordofan.

Methodology: In this retrospective study, we reported the patterns of lymphoma in 125 cases from North Kordofan state to determine the frequency of lymphoma in patients of different age groups and analyze the different sample sites associated with various lymphoma types.

Results: Clinical data showed that our study population consisted of 70 males and 55 females, with an age range from 5 to 90. 58% were nodular, while 42% were reported as extra nodal sites. The most frequently observed extra nodal abdominal site represented 62% of the cases, with skin biopsies following at 13%, all of which involved females. Cases from the nasopharynx made up 6%, all of which were males, while samples from the thyroid and kidneys each constituted 2%. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma accounted for 89.6% of all histological diagnoses and 10.4% were Hodgkin lymphoma.

Conclusion: This is the first statistical report of malignant lymphoma patterns in North Kordofan patients. The data suggest that lymphoma is more frequent in males than females; its incidence increases with age. Furthermore, non-Hodgkin lymphoma is more common than Hodgkin lymphoma. Nodal samples was the most frequent sample site.