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Updated: Jun 23, 2026
Multiplexed Fluorescent Immunohistochemical Staining, Imaging, and Analysis in Histological Samples of Lymphoma
Published on: January 9, 2019
Best practices in contemporary diagnostic immunohistochemistry: panel approach to hematolymphoid proliferations
Christine F Garcia1, Steven H Swerdlow
1Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania, USA.
Insights
A limited panel of immunohistochemical stains can aid in diagnosing common lymphomas. Interpretation alongside histopathology is crucial for accurate hematopathology evaluations.
Area of Science:
- Hematopathology
- Immunohistochemistry
- Lymphoid Proliferations
Background:
- Diagnostic hematopathology is complex, even in the molecular era.
- Immunophenotypic studies and histopathology are critical for evaluating lymphoid proliferations.
- Immunohistochemistry (IHC) using antibodies on paraffin-embedded tissues is increasingly valuable.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a practical immunohistochemical strategy for evaluating lymphoid proliferations.
- To highlight the effectiveness of two limited antibody panels for common lymphomas.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of English-language publications.
- Focus on studies published between 1990 and 2008.
Main Results:
- A concise panel of IHC stains can diagnose and subclassify many frequent lymphomas.
- Case complexity dictates the need for additional or fewer stains.
Conclusions:
- Limited immunohistochemical panels are effective for common lymphoma diagnoses.
- Always interpret IHC results within the context of histopathology and other ancillary studies.
Context:
The complexities of diagnostic hematopathology in the modern era are well known, and even in this molecular era, immunophenotypic studies, together with routine histopathology, remain a critical component in the evaluation of many lymphoid proliferations. With numerous antibodies that can be used on routinely fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections, immunohistochemistry has become increasingly valuable. It then becomes a challenge knowing the best approach to the selection of antibodies to use and how to interpret them.
Objective:
To present a pragmatic immunohistochemical approach to the evaluation of lymphoid proliferations that stresses the utility of 2 limited panels to deal with the most commonly encountered lymphomas.
Data Sources:
English-language literature published between 1990 and 2008.
Conclusions:
A relatively limited panel of immunohistochemical stains may be used to diagnose and subclassify many of the more common lymphomas, although some cases will require additional stains and others fewer, depending on the case complexity. Immunohistochemical stains must always be interpreted in the context of the histopathologic and other ancillary studies.
