Primary Extranodal Lymphomas of Lip – A Rare Manifestation in Sjogren’s Syndrome

Abstract

Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder which is characterized by lymphocyte-mediated destruction of exocrine glands, which produces the classical symptoms of dry eyes and dry mouth, which is referred to as primary SS or the Sicca complex. When it is associated with another autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus erythematosus, the condition is termed as secondary SS. One of the known major complications in patients with Sjogren’s syndrome is the occurrence of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma of B cell type. It is not uncommon for malignant lymphomas to occur in head and neck region at nodal and sometimes, extranodal sites. However, only rarely may they involve the oral cavity primarily. This case report describes a rare occurrence of isolated extranodal lymphomas in the upper and lower lips of a patient, which clinically resembled a mucocele, and eventually was diagnosed as lymphoma which was associated with Sjogren’s syndrome, thereby stressing the importance which was played by an oral diagnostician.

Keywords

• sjogren’s syndrome
• non-hodgkin’s lymphoma
• isolated extranodal lymphoma
• lips