title: T-cell-rich B-cell lymphoma--a distinct clinicopathologic entity?
abstract: T-cell-rich B-cell lymphoma is a particular variant of large B-cell lymphomas with the morphological hallmark of a small number of large neoplastic B-cells scattered in between a dense background of reactive T-lymphocytes, while histiocytes may be admixed in variable numbers. In the typical case, the neoplastic population resembles large germinal center cells including cells similar to the L+H-variants of Reed-Sternberg cells. The immunophenotype of these tumour cells is L26 + Leu-M1-BerH2-. Apart from these unifying features, the individual cases constitute a broad spectrum of various growth patterns, so that a multiplicity of different relations to other types of malignant lymphomas are discussed in the literature. This occurs to such an extent that it may be doubted, that one deals with a distinct and separate lymphoma entity. Moreover, a close relationship exists between T-cell-rich B-cell lymphoma and lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin's disease, because there are striking similarities between the two, and, in addition, coexistence of T-cell-rich B-cell lymphoma with Hodgkin's paragranuloma has been reported. It, therefore, seems conceivable that T-cell-rich B-cell lymphoma represents a developmental stage of lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin's disease. Be that as it may: There is no doubt that, presently, the nosological position of T-cell-rich B-cell lymphoma is unsettled and still remains to be clarified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Leder
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D016539:Reed-Sternberg Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*