Lymphadenopathy: a histopathologic study of 1145 biopsies

ABSTRACT

In a retrospective study, 1145 lymph node biopsies of patients with lymphadenopathy were examined histologically in Saddam's Medical City Teaching Hospital Laboratoties from 1986-1990. Granulomatous lymphadenitis of tuberculous origin is still a common cause of lymphadenpathy [16.1%], only preceeded by the group of inflammatory/reactive diseases which constituted 31.5%. Primary malignant lymphomas both Hodgkin's disease and Malignant Non- Hodgkin's Lymphoma were detected in 22% of the total with nearly equal incidence [10.9% and 11.1%] respectively. Although the study excluded regional lymph nodes that were attached to surgical specimens of resected malignant tumors, the incidence of metastatic malignancies presented as lyrnphadenopathy were still high and constituted 20.3%. Our results were consistent with similar Iraqi studies