Lymphoma

• Lymphoma is a tumor derived from lymphocytes, often referred to as Hodgkin or Non-Hodgkin.
• Hodgkin Lymphoma is a hematologic malignancy of mature B cells originating in the lymphatic system, characterized by the presence of Reed Sternberg cells.
• Burkitt lymphoma can present with a starry sky appearance, which is caused by the lighter cells on a dark background.
• Epstein-Barr virus plays a significant role in Burkitt lymphoma, particularly in the endemic African subtype.
• Rous benign macrophages ingest tumor cells and are called tumor-associated macrophages.
• The endemic African form of Burkitt lymphoma presents with a jaw or facial bone tumor in up to 60% of patients.
• Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma is a hematologic malignancy of mature B cells originating in the lymphatic system, characterized by the absence of Reed Sternberg cells.
• Reed Sternberg cells are multi-nucleated cells, usually binucleated, with two nuclei fused together and the two nuclei next to each other, appearing like allies.
• Burkitt lymphoma can be remembered as a kite in the middle of the sky at night.
• Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma can present with lymphadenopathy, which is firm and painless, and is present in more than two-thirds of patients.
• Extranodal involvement is common in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, with the most common area being the GI tract.
• The most common type of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma is nodular sclerosis.
• B symptoms are not as common in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma as they are in Hodgkin Lymphoma.
• Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma can spread to travel throughout the body non-contiguously, unlike Hodgkin Lymphoma which is bound by contiguous spread.
• Hodgkin Lymphoma has a bimodal age distribution, with peaks in late adolescence and young adulthood, and a second peak in older adults.
• Dissemination in Hodgkin Lymphoma generally proceeds from a single lymph node region to an adjacent lymph node, resulting in a better prognosis.
• ABVD is a common regimen used for Hodgkin lymphoma, which includes adreomycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and decarbazine, and is usually carried out for three to four cycles and followed by radiation therapy.
• Burkitt lymphoma is a highly aggressive subtype of non-hodgkin lymphoma, and if a biopsy is performed on these patients, it will be described as a starry sky appearance due to nume.
• Non-hodgkin lymphoma can have a hematogenous spread, which is spread through the blood, and this is why prognosis is usually poor in these patients.
• Diffuse large B cell is the most common subtype of non-hodgkin lymphoma, accounts for around 25 percent of adult non-hodgkin cases, and is very aggressive and fast growing.
• Non-hodgkin lymphoma is a heterogeneous group of malignancies of the lymphoid system derived from B and T cells, and can be either B or T cells.
• Hodgkin lymphoma is a malignancy of B cells originating in the lymphatic system, characterized by B symptoms, and has a better prognosis when it is localized and does not involve the lungs.
• Hodgkin Lymphoma has a better prognosis because it normally doesn't spread very far, unlike Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma which can spread quickly to other parts of the body.
• Epstein-Barr virus has an association with Hodgkin Lymphoma and is usually mentioned in the literature.
• The involved lymph nodes in Hodgkin lymphoma are generally firm and rubbery in consistency.
• Non-tender lymphadenopathy is the most common clinical manifestation of Hodgkin lymphoma, seen in more than two-thirds of patients at presentation.
• The most common variant of classic Hodgkin lymphoma is nodular sclerosing, which makes up close to 70% of cases.
• Sternberg cells, which are bi or multinucleated new cells that look like allies, are found on the biopsy of Hodgkin lymphoma.
• Imaging to stage Hodgkin lymphoma is usually done with a PET-CT.
• Discovery of a mediastinal mass in a routine chest x-ray is a common presentation for Hodgkin lymphoma.
• In an immunocompetent patient, Hodgkin lymphoma is not common, but in patients with HIV/AIDS or other immunosuppressive conditions, almost all Hodgkin lymphoma cases are EBV positive.
• Diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma involves biopsy and imaging to stage it.
• In patients with Hodgkin lymphoma, the lymph nodes are normally non-tender, but if these patients drink even a small amount of alcohol, the lymph nodes become painful.
• Excisional biopsy is used to confirm the diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma.
• Treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma involves chemo and radiation, known as chemo-radiation.
• B symptoms, which include fever, night sweats, and weight loss, are more common in Hodgkin lymphoma compared to non-hodgkin lymphoma.
• Briquette lymphoma is a subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
• The chemo regiment for DLBCL is ABVD regimen.
• Nodular sclerosing Hodgkin lymphoma is the most common type of Hodgkin lymphoma, occurring in about 70% of cases.
• PET-CT can show extranodal involvement in lymphoma, with the GI tract being the most common site of involvement.