Cytopathology in the diagnosis of lymphoma

FNA is a simple, safe, and an inexpensive sampling technique that plays an important role in the evaluation of lymphadenopathy. The key to enhancing the accuracy of FNA diagnosis of lymphoma is the multi parameter approach in which the cytomorphologic features are evaluated in correlation with the results of ancillary studies and clinical context. A full understanding of the current lymphoma classification, clinical features associated with each lymphoma subtype and the impact of the diagnosis on patient management is essential in FNA diagnosis of lymphoma. It is also important to recognize the limitations of FNA in the primary diagnosis of some subtypes of lymphoma, and tissue biopsy should be recommended for a definitive diagnosis and subclassification in such cases.