Abstract

Hameda Abd Al-Mahdi Ghazi, Rajaa Ali Moheiseen Al-Taee, Hayder Abdul-Amir Makki Al-Hindy

Background: In diseases affecting lymph nodes (LN), this highly organized morphological structure of the node is disturbed in a way or another. The lymphoid follicles may become larger, similar to what has been found in case of follicular hyperplasia. On the other hand, the sinuses may enlarge in cases of sinus hyperplasia as a response to certain types of inflammatory disorders. The LN architecture may be dramatically destroyed due to metastatic malignant disorder or due malignant neoplasia affecting primarily the LN itself, as is the case in malignant lymphoma.
Aim of the study: The poverty of local studies justified the planning and conduction of the current study to evaluate the prevalence of different types of malignant lymphoma in Al-Diwaniyah city, Middle Euphrates zone of Iraq
Materials and methods: This study conducted at the teaching labs of Al-Diwaniyah hospital and a number of private laboratories. At the end of the study we were able to retrieve 27 paraffin block of patients documented to have malignant lymphoma, either Hodgkin or Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The study started on June 2018 and ended at June 2019.
Results: The current study included 27 lymphoma patients; 17 Hodgkin and 10 non-Hodgkin cases. The overall mean patients' age was 48.09 ±12.7 years, that of Hodgkin lymphoma was 46.03 ±7.81 and that of non-Hodgkin lymphoma was 49.81 ±13.41 years. The study included 13 females and 14 males. Hodgkin lymphoma included 7 females and 10 males; while non- Hodgkin lymphoma included 6 females and 4 males. The study revealed no significant variation in the mean ages. Likewise, no sex-variation in the distribution of Hodgkin/non-Hodgkin groups (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: The use of conventional ''hematoxylin/eosin-stain'' allows the identification of malignant lymphoma. However, for proper characterization, immunophenotyping is necessary.