Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Differential Diagnoses

  • Author: Sanjay Vinjamaram, MD, MPH; Chief Editor: Emmanuel C Besa, MD   more...
 
Updated: Jan 20, 2012
 
 

Diagnostic Considerations

A significant number of medical disorders can produce local or generalized lymph node enlargement. Thus, the diagnosis of NHL relies on pathological confirmation following appropriate tissue biopsy.

The following are some of the conditions that can result in clinical manifestations similar to those observed in lymphoma patients:

  • Solid tumor malignancies: metastatic disease to lymph nodes secondary to carcinoma, melanoma, or sarcoma
  • Other hematologic malignancies or lymphoproliferative disorders: granulocytic sarcoma, multicentric Castleman disease
  • Benign lymph node infiltration or reactive follicular hyperplasia secondary to infection (eg, tuberculosis; other bacterial, fungal, and, rarely, viral infections), and collagen-vascular diseases
  • Hodgkin lymphoma, which requires a different treatment strategy than NHL

If the diagnosis of NHL is doubtful, acquire a second or third opinion from an expert hematopathologist before instituting therapy. Flow cytometry and cytogenetics should also be performed and can be especially helpful in difficult situations.

Differential Diagnoses

Proceed to Workup
 
 
Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Sanjay Vinjamaram, MD, MPH  Physician in Hematology/Oncology, Essentia/Innovis Health Cancer Center

Sanjay Vinjamaram, MD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Society for Cell Biology, and Sigma Xi

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Dolores A Estrada-Garcia, MD  Consulting Staff in Hematology-Oncology, Cancer Care Specialists of Central Illinois

Dolores A Estrada-Garcia, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Society of Clinical Oncology and American Society of Hematology

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco J Hernandez-Ilizaliturri, MD  Assistant Professor, Departments of Medicine and Immunology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, University of Buffalo State University of New York School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Francisco J Hernandez-Ilizaliturri, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for Cancer Research and American Society of Hematology

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Lakshmi Rajdev, MD  Site Director, Jacobi Medical Center; Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Joseph A Sparano, MD  Professor of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Cancer Center; Program Director, Director of Breast Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Oncology, Montefiore Medical Center

Joseph A Sparano, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for Cancer Research, American College of Physicians, and American Society of Hematology

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Koyamangalath Krishnan, MD, FRCP, FACP  Paul Dishner Endowed Chair of Excellence in Medicine, Professor of Medicine and Chief of Hematology-Oncology, James H Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University

Koyamangalath Krishnan, MD, FRCP, FACP is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, American Society of Hematology, and Royal College of Physicians

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

Chief Editor

Emmanuel C Besa, MD  Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematologic Malignancies, Kimmel Cancer Center, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University

Emmanuel C Besa, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for Cancer Education, American College of Clinical Pharmacology, American Federation for Medical Research, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Hematology, and New York Academy of Sciences

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

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