The term marginal zone refers to a histologic compartment located at the periphery of lymphoid follicles immediately outside their mantle zone. The marginal zone is especially evident in the spleen, although identical areas have been observed in other lymphoid structures,…
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) refers to all malignancies of the lymphoid system with the exception of Hodgkin lymphoma. Development of the lymphoid system is a highly regulated process, characterized by differential expression of a number of cell-surface and intracytoplasmic proteins and…
Over the past two decades, discoveries in basic immunology and the pathogenesis of malignancies have significantly advanced our understanding of the origin of lymphoid neoplasms. These diseases have been reexamined and grouped based on recurrent chromosomal rearrangements, histologic patterns, gene…
Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is an uncommon lymphoproliferative malignancy arising from B cells. It can affect all age groups but is most common in young adults. HL is the first adult malignancy to demonstrate the curative potential of combination chemotherapy. Today,…
More than 150 years ago, Thomas Hodgkin described several cases of a lymphoproliferative disease, later named Hodgkin disease. For a long time this malignancy, now called Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), has been one of the most enigmatic forms of lymphomas. This…
Introduction and Historical Background The classification of malignant lymphomas has undergone significant changes over the past 50 years. The current approach is based on the integration of morphologic, phenotypic, genetic, and clinical features that allows the identification of distinct disease…
Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is one of the diseases exemplifying the importance of the application of appropriate diagnostic techniques and the importance of treatment strategies to obtain the best treatment outcomes for the individual patient. The disease was first described…
Over the past several years, major advances have been realized in terms of improved understanding of the pathophysiology and therapeutic options for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The plethora of information about CLL has increased dramatically and made management of what…
Paul Ehrlich used his 1878 doctoral thesis to characterize a new cell type—the mast cell (MC)—based on its reactivity to aniline dyes and the metachromatic appearance of its cytoplasmic granules. He referred to MCs as Mastzellen and he speculated that…
Eosinophils are highly specialized granulocytic effector cells that produce and store numerous biologically active mediators, including cytotoxic proteins, lipid mediators, chemotactic peptides, and cytokines ( Table 74.1 ). Under various pathologic conditions, blood eosinophils transmigrate through the endothelial layer and…