Bone marrow biopsy in non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a morphological study

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Oncology
• Pathology

Background:

• Bone marrow biopsy is a standard procedure for staging non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).
• Understanding bone marrow involvement patterns is critical for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the incidence, histological patterns, and morphology of bone marrow involvement in NHL.
• To assess discordance between bone marrow and primary site histology in NHL.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study of 49 NHL cases undergoing bone marrow biopsy for staging.
• Bilateral bone marrow biopsies were processed and stained with H&E and reticulin.
• Histological classification followed the WHO classification for NHL.

Main Results:

• Bone marrow involvement was detected in 55.1% of NHL cases.
• T-cell lymphomas showed higher incidence of bone marrow involvement than B-cell lymphomas.
• Histological discordance between bone marrow and primary site was observed in 29.6% of involved cases, notably in follicular and diffuse large B-cell lymphomas.

Conclusions:

• Bone marrow biopsy is a valuable tool for accurate NHL diagnosis and staging.
• Recognizing histological discordance is important for treatment planning and prognosis.