Morphological variability of lymphohistiocytic variant of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (former lymphohistiocytic lymphoma according to the Kiel classification)

• Published in: Virchows Archiv : an international journal of pathology Vol. 452; no. 6; pp. 599 - 605
• Main Authors: Klapper, Wolfram, Böhm, Matthias, Siebert, Reiner, Lennert, Karl
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.06.2008; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Antigens, CD - analysis; Antigens, CD20 - analysis; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; CD3 Complex - analysis; Child; Child, Preschool; Cohort Studies; Female; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Ki-1 Antigen - analysis; Leukemias. Malignant lymphomas. Malignant reticulosis. Myelofibrosis; Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic - classification; Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic - pathology; Macrophages - pathology; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mitosis; Original Article; Pathology; Pathology. Cytology. Biochemistry. Spectrometry. Miscellaneous investigative techniques; ALCL; Lymphohistiocytic variant; Anaplastic large cell lymphoma; Lymphohistiocytic lymphoma; Genetic variability; Anaplastic cell lymphoma; Genotype; Malignant hemopathy; Large cell lymphoma; Lymphoid neoplasm; Non Hodgkin lymphoma; Variant; Anatomic pathology; Lymphoproliferative syndrome; Morphology; Classification; Cancer
• ISSN: 0945-6317; 1432-2307
• DOI: 10.1007/s00428-008-0616-7

According to the WHO classification, anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a distinct T-cell lymphoma entity with a number of morphological variants. The characteristic feature of lymphohistiocytic variant of ALCL according to the WHO classification is the abundance of histiocytes that exceed and mask the tumour cell population. In the current, study we reanalysed a historical series of 17 lymphomas, diagnosed as lymphohistiocytic lymphoma according to the criteria of the Kiel classification, with the presence of large purple macrophages (LPM) as the decisive finding for diagnosing this lymphoma subtype. We assessed the cellular composition of the tumour and correlated the results with the definition of lymphohistiocytic variant of ALCL given in the WHO classification. Although all cases in our cohort matched the criteria of ALCL according to the WHO, in 30% of the cases, the total amount of macrophages did not exceed the number of CD30-positive tumour cells. Our results indicate that the presence of LPM might be helpful to identify this subgroup of ALCL. Because the distinction of morphological subtypes of ALCL is of clinical relevance, improved criteria for subtyping ALCL are urgently needed that might include the presence LPM as one criteria.