Nodal Marginal Zone B Cell Lymphoma
Definition
- B cell neoplasm composed of small and medium sized cells that involves the mantle and marginal zones of peripheral lymph nodes
Alternate/Historical Names
- Monocytoid lymphoma
Diagnostic Criteria
- Biphasic population with mantle and marginal zone distribution
- Small round lymphocytes surround and replace follicles
- Medium sized cells with clear cytoplasm in surrounding marginal zone
- Scattered large blasts may be intermixed
- Occasional features
- Plasmacytoid differentiation
- Epithelioid histiocytes
- Marginal zone type lymphocytes may be numerous
- Small cells with clear cytoplasm
- Marrow and peripheral blood may be involved
- Lacks specific markers of other small cell lymphomas
- Negative to infrequent for CD23, bcl1, CD5, CD10
- Positive for B lineage markers and bcl2
- No specific positive immunologic marker
- Immunologically, a diagnosis of exclusion
- Lacks involvement of extranodal tissues
- Transformation to large B cell lymphoma may occur
Yasodha Natkunam MD PhD
Robert V Rouse MD
Department of Pathology
Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford CA 94305-5342
Original posting:: May 1, 2006