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Updated: Jul 15, 2026
Multiplexed Fluorescent Immunohistochemical Staining, Imaging, and Analysis in Histological Samples of Lymphoma
Published on: January 9, 2019
Frequency and diagnostic patterns of lymphomas in liver biopsies with respect to the WHO classification
Christoph Loddenkemper1, Thomas Longerich, Michael Hummel
1Institute of Pathology, Charité-University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany. christoph.loddenkemper@charite.de
Insights
This study analyzed hepatic lymphomas in liver biopsies, finding diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) most common. It confirms the World Health Organization (WHO) classification
Area of Science:
- Hematopathology
- Oncology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- The World Health Organization (WHO) classification provides a global standard for hematopoietic and lymphoid tumors.
- Its application to hepatic lymphomas in liver biopsies remains under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the frequency and infiltration patterns of hepatic lymphomas using the latest WHO classification.
- To assess the diagnostic utility of the WHO classification in liver biopsy specimens.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 205 liver biopsy specimens with lymphoma manifestations.
- Utilized immunohistochemical and molecular pathological analyses.
- Applied a validated algorithm to classify diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) subtypes.
Main Results:
- Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was the most frequent hepatic lymphoma (45%).
- GCB and non-GCB subtypes constituted 35% and 65% of DLBCL cases, respectively.
- T-cell lymphomas represented 12% of hepatic lymphomas, a higher proportion than most extranodal sites.
Conclusions:
- The WHO classification is applicable to hepatic lymphomas in liver biopsies.
- Specific infiltration patterns were observed for most B-cell lymphoma entities.
- Diagnostic challenges in certain T-cell lymphomas necessitate molecular clonality assessment.
Abstract:
The recent World Health Organization (WHO) classification of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissue tumors represents the first worldwide consensus classification of these malignancies. However, the applicability of this classification to a representative number of hepatic lymphomas in liver biopsy specimens has not yet been investigated. The frequency and infiltration pattern of a series of 205 liver biopsies with lymphoma manifestations was analyzed with the aid of immunohistochemical and molecular pathological analyses. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was by far the most frequent entity, comprising 45% of the cases analyzed. Using a previously published immunohistochemical algorithm, 35% of 80 DLBCL were assigned to a germinal center B-cell-like (GCB) and 65% to a non-GCB group. Most B-cell lymphoma entities involving the liver revealed a characteristic infiltration pattern. Diagnostically challenging entities were T-cell-rich B-cell lymphomas, anaplastic large cell lymphomas and peripheral T-cell lymphomas, which frequently required additional molecular clonality assessment. Overall, the percentage of T-cell lymphomas in the liver (12%) was higher as compared to other extranodal sites except for the skin and the small intestine. This study provides relevant data on the distribution of hepatic lymphomas and demonstrates the applicability of the WHO classification proposing a diagnostic algorithm for liver biopsies.
