Published in:
Open Access
01-07-2009 | Comment
Commentary on the WHO classification of tumors of lymphoid tissues (2008): aggressive B-cell lymphomas
Authors:
Olga Balague Ponz, German Ott, Robert P. Hasserjian, Kojo S. J. Elenitoba-Johnson, Laurence de Leval, Daphne de Jong
Published in:
Journal of Hematopathology
|
Issue 2/2009
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Abstract
In the novel WHO classification 2008, the classification of aggressive B-cell lymphoma has been revised for several categories with the aim to define “clean” entities. Within large B-cell lymphoma, a few distinct clinico-pathological entities have been recognized with more clinically defined entities than pathologically defined ones. The majority of known morphological variations were not considered to merit more than classification as a variant of DLBCL, not otherwise specified. Specifically, a biological subgrouping of DLBCL on the basis of molecular (activated B-cell versus germinal center B-cell) or immunophenotypic (CD5+) features was felt to be too immature to include at this stage. The role of EBV in aggressive B-cell lymphoma has been explored in more depth with the recognition of several novel and re-defined clinico-pathological entities. Also, in these diseases, clinical definitions play a very dominant role in the WHO classification 2008.