Cytology of malignant lymphoma

Malignant lymphoma can occur in various organs, including the mediastinum, spleen, Peyer's patch, skin, gastrointestinal tract and lungs, in addition to the lymph nodes; therefore, with a sample such organs, differential diagnosis with malignant lymphoma should be kept in mind. Furthermore, the treatment of choice for malignant lymphoma depends on the histological subtype, because of the broad spectrum of tumors, i.e., low-grade to high-grade malignancy. Accordingly, appropriate methods to obtain samples and their adequate preparation are quite important to make an accurate diagnosis. Cytology has an advantage over histological diagnosis in terms of a less invasive procedure, low cost and short turnaround time. In this review, the important points to make an accurate cytologic diagnosis of malignant lymphoma will be discussed.