ABSTRACT
Introduction: Primary extranodal lymphoma (pENL) refers to group of disorders arising from tissues other than lymph nodes and even from sites, which normally do not contain lymphoid tissue. This study was undertaken to ascertain the prevalence, anatomical distribution, and histological subtypes of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) from a tertiary care institute in Southern India. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in the Department of Pathology over a period of 3-years. Detailed clinical history, routine complete blood count, microbiological status was obtained from the medical records. Hamatoxylin and eosin slides were reviewed and immunohistochemistry was performed using a panel of antibodies depending on the morphology. All cases were classifi ed based upon morphologic and immunophenotypic criteria according to World Health Organization 2008 classifi cation. Results: Primary extranodal NHL constituting 22.6% (68/300) of all NHL and the majority of patients were from higher age group with peak incidence seen in fourth to fi fth decade of life. In the pediatric population, the most common site is ileocaecal region (42.8%) and the most common morphology is lymphoblastic lymphoma (42.8%). Similarly in the adult population head and neck was the most common site constituting 36% and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common morphological subtype comprising 54% of all extranodal lymphomas. Conclusion: Although the reported incidence of pENL is low in India compared to other parts of the world, the possibility of pENL should always be kept in mind even though it arises in an extranodal site.
ABSTRACT
Follicular Lymphoma (FL) is the second most common B-Non Hodgkin Lymphoma after diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Low grade FL is known for its indolent behavior; however, one subset of FL behave aggressively and may require intensive therapy. One of the diagnostic issues in FL is to identify this subgroup of cases. Proliferation index can have prognostic importance in this subset of cases. We discuss one case of low grade FL with a paradoxically high proliferative index. A 63 year male presented with generalized lymphadenopathy of one year duration, which was gradually increasing in size. On examination, patient had bilateral cervical, axillary and inguinal nodes. Biopsy of the left cervical lymph node was reported as FL - Grade 2, with high proliferative Index (60%). The patient was put on CHOP regimen targeted for high grade lymphomas, and had complete remission. High proliferative index in FL is a poor prognostic factor irrespective of the histologic grade. So, proliferative index should be assessed in all cases of FL as an adjunct to histologic grading.