Significance of the Reed-Sternberg cell

Our concept of the Reed-Sternberg cell has evolved considerably since the turn of the century. At the present, it is generally accepted that this cell is a polyploid lymphoreticular cell incapable of mitotic division. The two nuclei of the classic Reed-Sternberg cell probably represent the two lobes of a markedly convoluted or segmented nucleus. The Reed-Sternberg cell may be regarded as the end stage of a transformed lymphocyte that has undergone in vitro blastogenesis. It is not definitely known whether it is of the T or B cell variety. There seems to be no valid histochemical or ultrastructural evidence that it is a histiocyte. The Reed-Sternberg cell, although not 'pathognomonic,' continues to be an essential landmark for the diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease. The actively dividing cells in the neoplasm are considered to be the small lymphocytes as well as the mononucleated reticulum cells, although the triggering mechanism for cell division remains unknown.