A subtype of Hodgkins which is histogenetically distinct from all others

Nodular Lymphocyte-Predominant Hodgkin's Lymphoma It is now recognized as an entity distinct from classical Hodgkin's lymphoma. Asubset of these patients has tumors with nodular growth pattern and a clinical course that varied from that of patients with classical Hodgkin's lymphoma. This is an unusual clinical entity and represents <5% of cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma. It has a number of characteristics that suggest its relationship to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. These include a clonal proliferation of B cells and a distinctive immunophenotype; tumor cells express J chain and display CD45 and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) and do not express two markers normally found on Reed-Sternberg cells, CD30 and CD15. This lymphoma tends to have a chronic, relapsing course and sometimes transforms to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.Reference: Harrison&;s Principles of Internal Medicine; 19th edition; Chapter 134 Malignancies of Lymphoid Cells