Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is the second most common AIDS-related malignancy. The maxillary sinuses, nasal cavity and ethmoid sinus are the most common sites of NHL (33%). In about 3%of cases defined as AIDS, NHL is present at the start of the course of HIV infection. NHL seems to result from uncontrolled proliferation of immature lymphoid precursors that have lost the ability to differentiate and thus accumulate progressively in the host. Most patients have a relatively low CD4 cell count (100-200 cells/mm3). HIV often infects T lymphocytes and the loss of T-cell regulatory function leads to hypergammaglobulinemia and polyclonal B-cell hyperplasia The treatment of head and neck NHL usually involves radiation, chemotherapy and surgery or a combination thereof.
Primary NHL lesions in the oral soft tissues are usually asymptomatic, relatively soft in consistency, and appear as a diffuse increase in volume that affects mainly the buccal mucosa, gums and posterior portion of the hard palate.