[Convoluted cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (author's transl)]

The recent identification among non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphomas of a high-grade malignancy entity of possible thymic origin and defined as lymphoblastic convoluted-cell lymphoma allowed the morphologic and radiological diagnosis of nine cases of this disease. Males outnumbered females (6/9) and the age ranged from 6 to 54 years. The histologic diagnosis relied upon the characteristic non cohesive cellularity as well as upon the peculiar cribriform nuclear structure, the convoluted appearance of the nuclei, the anisokaryosis, the paucity of the cytoplasm and the minimal size of the nucleoli. The anatomical distribution of the disease was ascertained in the lymph nodes, spleen, liver and several other extranodal sites. Bone marrow invasion was observed in seven cases and presence of lymphoma cells in the peripheral blood in six. A thymic mediastinal mass was present radiologically in seven cases and lymphography was positive in five. Follow-up data revealed death of four patients within 10 months and survival of two up to 17 months. The cellular morphology of the malignant lymphoma seems to be sufficiently diagnostic. This entity deserves an autonomous position within the classifications of malignant lymphomas as it appears in the functional one proposed by Lukes and Collins (21) as well as in the Kiel classification (13).