Clinicopathologic study of 212 cases of peripheral T-cell lymphoma among the Japanese

Postthymic/peripheral T-cell malignancy shows significant histopathologic and clinical diversity, even in its prognosis, and the correlations remain to be debated.

The clinicopathologic features of 212 Japanese patients with these neoplasms were investigated.

There were 131 male and 81 female patients, whose ages ranged from 2 to 90 years (mean, 51.7 years). Lymphadenopathy was the most frequent clinical presentation, and the patients also had frequent skin lesions, hyperimmunoglobulinemia, hypercalcemia, and a rapid clinical course. Furthermore, the differences in the histologic features of each subcategory reflected the clinical pictures. The immunophenotypic analysis was indispensable in establishing a correct diagnosis, and the high-grade tumors often showed loss of pan-T antigens.

The histopathologic classification proposed by Suchi et al., which has been incorporated into the updated Kiel classification, showed a good prognostic correlation.