Differential diagnosis of malignant lymphomas and related disorders by specific pattern of expression of immunophenotypic markers revealed by multiparameter flow cytometry (Review)

The introduction of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for cell immunophenotyping and use of flow cytometry with the progressively improving software fur mu ltivariate analyses have revolutionized the diagnosis and influenced the cl assification of hematologic neoplasms. In this review we focus on the pract ical application of flow cytometry in the diagnosis and classification of m alignant lymphomas and related lymphoproliferative disorders with special e mphasis on differential diagnosis. A general approach to the utilization of flow cytometry (FC) in hematopathology with an algorithm to diagnose the m ost common neoplasms is presented. We discuss precursor B-cell neoplasms, m ature B-cell neoplasms (SLL/CLL, mantle cell lymphoma, marginal zone lympho ma, hairy cell leukemia, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, plasma cell dyscras ias and lymphomas with plasmacytic differentiation), precursor T-lymphoblas tic leukemia and mature (peripheral) T-cell neoplasms, including T-SLL/PLL, anaplastic cell lymphomas and large granular cell leukemia/lymphoma. The t ext is accompanied by characteristic FC scatterplots of the discussed entit ies.