[Size of cell nuclei in non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Prognostic and diagnostic significance]

Morphometric analysis of cell-nucleus size was undertaken in 300 cases of malignant non-Hodgkin lymphomas. The results were compared with histological findings and survival time. It was found that the histological lymphoma groups differ significantly only occasionally with regard to nucleus size. Within the groups the values have such wide scatter that in the individual case it is not possible to assign it on morphometric data. This scatter mirrors the difficulties encountered in histological classification which - as the objective data indicate - are due to numerous transitions between different types of lymphoma. Analysis of survival data shows that nucleus size is of considerable prognostic value, if certain exceptions such as lymphoblastic lymphoma are taken into account. The results favour tripartite division of malignant lymphomas for prognostic purposes.