[A new functional interpretation of malignant lymphomas. The Lukes-Collins classification and its basis]

The revolutionary developments in immunology have profoundly altered our understanding of malignant lymphomas as tumors of the immune system. The current commonly used classifications of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas do not take this new evidence into account and often contain cytologically heterogenous types. The new functional approach to lymphomas and the classification proposed by LUKES and COLLINS in 1974 separate the malignant lymphomas into better defined cytologic types and relate them to the presently known functional lymphocyte subtypes. It is therefore morphologically more accurate and biologically more meaningful than the present Rappaport nomenclature. This review discusses the morphologic and immunologic foundation of the Lukes-Collins concept and compares their classification with the other major currently used nomenclatures, mainly the one of RAPPAPORT. Special reference is made to the Kiel nomenclature which is very similar to the Lukes-Collins approach and is better known in Europe. Technical methods necessary to apply the Lukes-Collins concept are briefly discussed.