Lymph Node and Spleen

Abstract

The word lymphoma means a malignancy of the lymphoid system and usually implies a solid tumor mass, whether it is in the lymph nodes or an extranodal site. However, many of the lymphomas can also have an associated leukemia, in which the neoplastic cells invade the bone marrow and enter the peripheral blood. This chapter covers several major categories of lymphomas: high-grade (aggressive) lymphomas (neoplasms of activated B cells and T cells), low-grade B cell lymphomas (neoplasms of mature B cells), lymphoblastic lymphoma (neoplasms of precursor cells or lymphoblasts), and Hodgkin lymphomas. The normal histology of the spleen, as well as tumors and lymphomas unique to the spleen, will be covered at the end of the chapter.