World Health Organization classification of malignant lymphomas

The historical background of classification of the neoplasms of lymphoid ti ssue has been presented beginning from the pioneer works of T. Hodgkin and R. Virchow till the up-to-date classification schemes developed by G. Rappa port and K. Lennert. The basic principles of the new WHO classification ela borated by the international group of pathologists have been analyzed in de tails with the emphasis on the criteria of delineating each nosologic entit y taking into account the patterns of the growth (nodular or diffuse) as we ll as the origin of malignant cells defined upon the analysis of cytomorpho logical, immunophenotypic, and molecular genetic features.