Follicular Lymphoma
| Overview |
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- Follicular Lymphoma is a histological subtype of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) which accounts for roughly 20% of all NHL cases and charts a relatively indolent clinical course.
| Etiology |
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- The vast majority of follicular lymphomas harbor a translocation between Chromosome 14 and 18, t(14;18), which places the anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2 under the promoter of the highly-expressed immunoglobulin heavy chain gene. This leads to inappropriate survival of these cells and ultimately contributes to their neoplastic transformation.
| Morphology and Immunophenotype |
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- Histologically, Follicular Lymphomas present as small or large cells that are arranged in a nodular or follicular pattern. Their immunophenotype suggests that these cells originate from germinal center B-cells of secondary lymphoid follicles.
| Clinical Consequences |
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- Follicular Lymphomas typically present as diffuse painless lymphadenopathy. These neoplasms are generally indolent with slow progression.