What is lymphoma?
They are heterogenous group of malignant diseases of lymphoreticular origin. The
patient of lymphoma presents with fever, loss of weight, anorexia associated with
generalised lymphadenopathy. The major types of lymphoma are Hodgkin’s disease
(HD) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). They are classified in the following
subdivisions:
Hodgkin’s disease (WHO pathological classification), which is a minor modification
of previous Rye classification:
Nodular lymphocyte-predominant HD
Classical HD
– Nodular sclerosis HD (commonest)
– Mixed cellularity HD
– Lymphocyte-rich HD
– Lymphocyte-depleted HD (rare).
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Rappaport’s classification:
– Nodular (low grade and prognostically better)
– Diffuse (high grade and prognostically worse)
International Working Formulation:
– High grade
– Intermediate grade
– Low grade.
NB: Clinical staging of lymphoma is done by Ann Arbor staging classification
(especially HD; clinical staging is not very helpful in NHL as it disseminates frequently
haematogenously throughout the body at the time of diagnosis).
Final diagnosis of lymphoma comes from lymph node biopsy.
They are heterogenous group of malignant diseases of lymphoreticular origin. The
patient of lymphoma presents with fever, loss of weight, anorexia associated with
generalised lymphadenopathy. The major types of lymphoma are Hodgkin’s disease
(HD) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). They are classified in the following
subdivisions:
Hodgkin’s disease (WHO pathological classification), which is a minor modification
of previous Rye classification:
Nodular lymphocyte-predominant HD
Classical HD
– Nodular sclerosis HD (commonest)
– Mixed cellularity HD
– Lymphocyte-rich HD
– Lymphocyte-depleted HD (rare).
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Rappaport’s classification:
– Nodular (low grade and prognostically better)
– Diffuse (high grade and prognostically worse)
International Working Formulation:
– High grade
– Intermediate grade
– Low grade.
NB: Clinical staging of lymphoma is done by Ann Arbor staging classification
(especially HD; clinical staging is not very helpful in NHL as it disseminates frequently
haematogenously throughout the body at the time of diagnosis).
Final diagnosis of lymphoma comes from lymph node biopsy.