Lymphomas

Lymphoma is a tumor of the lymphocytes. There are 2 types: Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin

Lymphoma starts at major lymph sites:

 Lymph nodes
 Lymph vessels
 Spleen
 Bone Marrow
 Thymus
 Adenoids

Hodgkin Lymphoma

Cells affected are called Reed-Sternberg cells (an abnormal type of B lymphocytes). A subtype of
Hodgkin lymphoma (nodular-lymphocyte predominant hodgkin lymphoma) has a variation of Reed-
Sternberg cells called popcorn cells.

Reed Sternberg cells are B lymphocytes that have not undergone hypermutation. They are
multinucleated (usually 2, hence the owl’s eyes appearance)

Hodgkin lymphoma more likely to arise in the upper body lymph nodes and spreads from a group of
lymph nodes to another, usually predictably.

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

As is in Hodgkin Lymphoma, there are many types of Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas. These different
types grow and spread at different rates. The slow ones are called indolent lymphomas and the fast
ones are called aggressive lymphomas.

 Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: aggressive, responsive to Th/

 Follicular lymphoma: indolent, responsive to Th/
 Chronic lymphocytic leukemia: indolent, non-curable but responsive to Th/
 Burkitt lymphoma: aggressive, usually starts in the jaw, connected to EBV, responsive to Th/
 T cell lymphomas: fairly rare

NHL may occur in any lymph node or even starts in other organs. The spread is unpredictable and
usually diagnosed in a much advanced stage.