Composite lymphomas: Experience from a tertiary cancer center in Kerala, South India

Composite tumors are defined as tumors in which there are two different intermixed histologic types. Our objective was to study the clinical and pathologic features of five cases of composite lymphoma.

Our study included five patients of composite lymphoma diagnosed over a period of 5 years. Clinical presentation, hematological parameters including peripheral smear, bone marrow aspirate, and histopathological examination of lymph node including immunohistochemistry (IHC) were studied. Treatment and follow-up details were also noted.

All the five cases were in the adult age group ranging from 44 to 72 years. All the cases were composite follicular lymphoma (FL) and mixed cellularity classical Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL). Diagnosis in all cases was suspected on morphology by identification of distinct neoplastic follicles in FL and classic Reed-Sternberg cells in CHL and confirmed by IHC.

Although rare, composite lymphomas should be kept in mind. Careful histopathological examination of lymph node with identification of distinct morphological features along with IHC helps to arrive at the definitive diagnosis.