Mikulicz's disease and Mikulicz's syndrome: analysis of the original case report of 1892 in the light of current knowledge identifies a MALT lymphoma.

摘要

OBJECTIVE: To remove the confusion surrounding the terms "Mikulicz's disease" and "Mikulicz's syndrome" by discovering the nature of the disease that Mikulicz described. STUDY DESIGN: Investigation of the original 1892 publication by Mikulicz in the light of current knowledge. RESULTS: Mikulicz described bilateral painless swellings of the lacrymal, major salivary, and minor salivary glands that were present for 14 months without a reduction in salivary flow before the patient, a man of 42 years, died. A print of a microscopical field of one of the submandibular glands contains a uniform lymphocytic infiltrate of centrocyte-like cells typical of MALT lymphoma, which is strongly supported by the reported clinical features. CONCLUSION: Mikulicz published the first case report of a MALT lymphoma of salivary glands, and the terms "Mikulicz's disease" and "Mikulicz's syndrome" should no longer be used.