Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: An immunohistochemical approach to diagnosis

Abstract

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) that develops from the B-cells of the lymphatic system. It is the most common subtype of NHL accounting for 30%-40% of all cases. In addition to determining if NHL is indolent or aggressive and whether it is B-cell, T-cell or NK-cell lymphoma, it is very important to determine the subtype of NHL. This is because each subtype can behave differently and may require different treatments. This warrants the need for an accurate and explicit subtype-specific diagnosis that catalogs the molecular prognostic indicators. Moreover, retrospective studies have confirmed that diagnosis to treatment interval is strongly associated with prognostic clinical factors and outcome in newly diagnosed cases of DLBCL. Therefore, an expeditious histological and immunohistochemical investigation should be compassed in cases of oral lymphomas.