A Patho-histologlc Study on Malignant Lymphoma

A study was made on 190 cases (autopsy and biopsy) of malignant lymphoma of Koreans obtained during a period of 10 years, 1955 to 1964, at the Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University. The frequency ratio or relative incidence of malignant lymphoma among all types of malignant tumors in the same period at this department was 6.1 per cent in male and female together. thus ranking the second in frequency in male and the sixth in female. The sex ratio of male and female was 2.6: 1. The age distribution of malignant lymphoma showed the highest frequency in the decades of 40-49 and 50-59, and also considerably high frequencies in the decades of 30-39 and 20-29. However, when related to the age distribution of the Korean population, the age incidence of malignant lymphoma was highest in the decade of 50-59. Ages of 190 cases ranged from one year and three months to 78 years with the average of 37.4 years of age. The 190 cases of malignant lymphoma were classified histologically into well differentiated Iymphocytic type (25.8%), poorly differentiated lymphocytic type (20.5 %), reticulum cell type (39.5%), Hodgkin's type (10.0 %), and follicular type (4.2%). An attempt was made to classify all cases of malignant lymphoma into nodal and extranodal groups according to the initial presentations. Nearly 71 per cent of the cases persented lymph node swelling as the presenting symptom. Cervical region was the most commonly affected site. The remaining 21 per cent had their initial site in extranodal region. Nasopharynx including tonsils was the most frequent site (41% of extranodal cases) and the next was gastrointestinal tract (16%). Peripheral blood pictures characteristic of leukemia occurred in 4.7 per cent of all types of malignant lymphoma with particular prevalence in lymphocytic type . We presume that the unsatisfactory follow up studies would at least partly be accounted for the relatively low percentage in this series. Routine blood examination in the cases without leukemic picture revealed slight anemia in most cases. However, leukocyte and platelet counts were within normal limits. In 14 cases in this series biopsies were made on two or more occasions, or specimens from both biopsy and subsequent autopsy were available. The original morphology was maintained in 12 cases and the remaining two cases appeared to be less differentiated. More autopsy should be emphasized for the more detailed observation of malignant lymphoma especially in relation to leukemia or persistence of histologic findings