A Practical Approach to Diagnosis of B-Cell Lymphomas With Diffuse Large Cell Morphology

Area of Science:

• Hematopathology
• Oncology
• Diagnostic Pathology

Background:

• Large B-cell lymphomas are the most frequent non-Hodgkin lymphomas.
• These lymphomas can present as extranodal masses, mimicking metastatic tumors.
• Accurate differentiation from other hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic tumors is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To offer a systematic evaluation method for large B-cell lymphomas.
• To aid community practice pathologists in diagnosing these neoplasms.
• To refine the classification and diagnosis of B-cell lymphomas.

Main Methods:

• Review of guidelines from the 2017 WHO Classification of Tumours of Haematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues.
• Inclusion of recent peer-reviewed publications.
• Proposal of a checklist-based diagnostic process.

Main Results:

• Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common entity.
• A stepwise approach helps rule out other similar lymphomas.
• Accurate diagnosis is essential for favorable treatment response.

Conclusions:

• A rational, methodic approach is proposed for evaluating large B-cell lymphomas.
• The proposed process focuses on DLBCL and differential diagnoses.
• Timely and accurate diagnosis is key for patient outcomes.