Comparative Analysis of Flow Cytometry and Tissue Biopsy in 252 Patients

OBJECTIVE: To study the effectiveness of peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow flow cytometric immunophenotyping (FCIP) in predicting the histologic B-cell lymphoma type. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied the FCIP results and tissue histopathology from 252 patients with B-cell lymphoma seen at Mayo Clinic’s site in Rochester, MN, between January 1, 1997, and January 1, 2004, who had positive results on PB, bone marrow, or body fluid FCIP and a corresponding diagnostic tissue biopsy specimen. RESULTS: Most of the B-cell lymphomas studied were low grade, with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lym-phoma being most common. Flow cytometric immunophenotyping histogram analysis was more informative than tabulated percent-age antigen positivity; surface immunoglobulin and CD20 staining intensity, CD5 and CD23 positivity, CD10 positivity, and th