Lymphoma Classification [antikvár]

To the Editor: It is becoming more difficult to understand pathologists when they talk about the malignant lymphomas. Therefore, I have devised a practical classification designed to supersede the systems now commonly used. It has the advantage of being precise, predictive and relatively simple to apply. I. Good ones (includes nonconvoluted diffuse centrilobulated histoblastoma, immune binucleolar hyperbolic folliculated macrolymphosarcoma, T2-terminal transferase-negative bimodal prolymphoblastic leukosarcoma, Jergen-Kreuzart-Artunier-Abdullah syndrome and reticulated histoblastic pseudo-Sezary IgM-secreting folliculoma). Characteristic: Small tumor that does not recur after treatment. II. Not-so-good ones (formerly "hairy cell" pseudoincestuoblastoma, quasi convoluted binucleate germinoma, sarcoblastiocytoma, Syrian variant of heavy-chain disease and German grossobeseioma). Characteristic: Such tumors disappear on treatment but return and cause appreciable mortality. III. Really bad ones (include farsical mononuclear diffuse convoluted ps eudoquasihistiolymphosarcomyeloblastoma, IgG variant of fragmented plasmatic gammopathy, triconvoluted ipsilateral rhomboid fever. Armour's hyperthermic canlnoma and Hohner's harmonica). Characteristic: Regardless of treatment, such tumors keep growing. IV. Ones that are not what they seem (include gallbladder disease, appendicitis, shotgun wounds and ingrown toenails). Characteristic: These conditions are not actually lymphomas but are included for the sake of completeness. Donald J. Higby, M.D Roswell Park Memorial Institute New England Journal of Medicine (1979) 300:1283 An equally telling comment came from an American oncologist, which made, despite its facetious tone, two important points, both of which are valid today. Firstly, the separation of lymphomas into several broad categories is a reminder that oncologists require from the pathologist some indication of clinical behaviour. Secondly, the fantastical names indicate that the titles given to lymphoma subtypes by pathologists often appear to be unnecessarily complex and confusing.