1998 Khmer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. Commentary From the R.E.A.L. Classification to the upcoming WHO scheme: A step toward universal categorization of lymphoma entities?

In 1991, a group of experienced European and American haematopathologists, none of whom had previously been involved in the writing of a lymphoma classification, founded the International Lymphoma Study Group (ILSG) for discussion of the problems related to the categorization of such tumours. After completion of two pilot studies, on mantle cell lymphomas [1] and Hodg-kin's disease [2], the group, which in the meantime had expanded (Appendix), decided to tackle the problem of lymphoma classification and formulate a proposal for overcoming the seemingly endless conflicts between the American and European schools [3-13]. In April 1993, the first draft of a new classification was discussed, since all members felt that the limitations of the two previous schemes (the Working Formulatio