Ultrastructural comparison of Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas

Abstract

The ultrastructural features of Reed-Sternberg cells and reactive epithelioid histiocytes from patients with Hodgkin's disease were compared with those of large cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. The cytoplasmic organelles of Reed-Sternberg cells were dissimilar to those of neoplastic large lymphocytes from follicular centre cell lymphomas, immunoblastic lymphomas, lymphoblastic lymphomas, and mycosis fungoides both in type and distribution. Reed-Sternberg cells could be distinguished from reactive epithelioid histiocytes; however, the cytoplasmic organization of the Reed-Sternberg cells bore a closer resemblance to these histiocytes than to the cells of the various large cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.