BCL10 somatic mutations rarely occur in gastric lymphoma: detection of high frequency of polymorphisms in BCL10 coding region

Diagnostic pathology of lymphoproliferative disorders

The last 20 years have seen a dramatic change in the way we classify, and therefore diagnose, lymphoma. Two decades ago, the International Working Formulation enabled diagnosis and management on the basis of H&E sections alone, with no mandatory requirement for immunophenotyping, molecular studies or any other ancillary investigations. The concept of categorisation by 'clinicopathological entities' defined by clinical features, morphology, immunophenotype and more recently, genotype, began with the Kiel, and Lukes and Collins classifications in the late 1970s, becoming fully expressed in the REAL and subsequently WHO classifications. The current, multidisciplinary approach to categorisation adds significantly to the task facing the anatomical pathologist, since it requires distribution of biopsy material to all the appropriate specialised laboratories, the gathering of a range of cross-disciplinary information, the correlation of all diagnostic findings, deduction of a definitive diagnosis and, finally, integration of all the above into a single multiparameter report. In this review, we summarise the contemporary approach to the biopsy, diagnosis and reporting of lymphoproliferative disorders.

Indolent lymphoma: the pathologist's viewpoint

Indolent lymphomas have recently been the object of numerous studies, which have focused on new aspects relevant both for the better comprehension of their histogenesis and the identification of new therapeutic strategies. As marginal-zone lymphoma (MZL) represents the category of indolent lymphomas that has obtained more benefit from such an approach, the authors focused on the most recent achievements and not yet solved controversies in this area. In spite of their postulated common derivation, the three categories of MZL of the WHO Classification appear dissimilar. In fact, they show significant molecular differences among them as well as a certain heterogeneity within each group. By no means, there is a cogent need of more refined tools to revise these neoplasms and to produce a more rational grouping. The recent identification of the IRTA gene family corresponding to IG-like receptors differentially expressed in B-cells might contribute to their better understanding.