Immunohistology and Other Diagnostic Techniques

Abstract

While morphologic examination of H&E-stained sections remains the cornerstone of lymph node diagnosis, a wide variety of ancillary investigations have served to better define the malignant lymphomas and leukemias. Importantly, they have contributed to a conceptual understanding of the lymphomas, particularly those of B cell lineage. Among the more common techniques that are useful in diagnosis are immunohistology, flow cytometry, cytogenetics, and molecular analysis, with histochemistry, electron microscopy, and bacterial and viral cultures providing useful diagnostic information in more specific situations. Gene expression profiling and proteomics are still research tools but have enhanced our knowledge and facilitated the introduction of new immunohistochemical markers.