Family studies in cases with malignant lymphomas

A short review of the genetic aspects of tumors of the reticuloendothelial system is given. Of special interest is the observation of a "familial lymphohistiocytosis of the nervous system" published by PRICE et al. in 1971. Important are also our own observations with different types of malignant lymphoma in the same family. In addition to the possibilities of classical mendelian inheritance and the possibility of multifactorial inheritance preexisting immunological deficiency syndromes and chromosomal aberrations have to be considered as causal factors.