1982 Volume 21 Issue 4 Pages 670-680
Twenty two cases of T cell type lymphoma out of fourty four cases of malignant lymphoma in Kyoto National Hospital from 1975 to 1981 were classified according to LSG and Lukes-Collins classification.
The following is the morphological and cytochemical features of T cell lymphoma cells.
1) The cells of T cell lymphoma occured in adults showed pleomorphism including marked variability in cell size, and lobulation, distortion, and convolution of nuclei.
The nuclear to cytoplasmic area ratio was larger and the cytoplasm stained weaker in T cell type than B cell type.
Some of the large malignant cells were morphologically similar to Hodgkin cells.
2) The histological and cytological features of pleomorphic T cell type were similar to adult T cell leukemia, but in adult T cell leukemia the number of small lymphocyte like malignant cells was more than that of pleomorphic T cell type.
3) Two cases with thymoma occured under twenty years of age, and in these cases the malignant cells were less pleomorphic.
4) On the other hand, the cells of B cell lymphoma showed monotonous pattern.
Malignant cells which had cleaved nuclei were follicular type in general, and those cells which had noncleaved nuclei were all diffuse type.
5) The cytoplasm of T cell lymphoma and T cell line contained PAS positive granules which were thought to be glycogen. And these granules stained differently according to cell size. Those of B cell lymphoma, B cell line, and Null cell line contained no PAS positive granules. But in some of the immunoblastic sarcoma, a few PAS positive granules were observed in cytoplasm which showed the presence of immunoglobulin.
6) The small malignant cells in T cell lymphoma showed a focal dot like stain in cytoplasm with acid phosphatase, but the large cells showed a diffuse stain.
In B cell lymphoma, B cell line, and Null cell line only several acid phosphatase positive granules were observed diffusely in cytoplasm.
