Clinical and prognostic features of lymphomas arising in the head and neck region: Our experience of preferential association of different histotypes with various sites of origin in ninety patients

Keypoints • Among malignant lesions of the head and neck region excluding thyroid malignancies, lymphoma ranks second only to squamous cell carcinoma in frequency of occurrence. In the diagnostic work-up of every mass in the head and neck region, the Otolaryngologist should always consider lymphomas. • Most cases referred to the otolaryngologist are primarily extranodal, and the most frequent histology is diffuse large B cell lymphoma. • In extranodal cases, typical symptoms of otolaryngological diseases, such as dysphagia, nasal obstruction and fullness, are much more frequent than systemic manifestations. • Our results show a preferential localisation of the different lymphoma types within the head and neck, which may help in the diagnostic work-up (i.e. MALTomas are very frequent in the parotid, the aggressive mantle cellphenotype in the base of tongue).