Cytology and reactions of viable cells from malignant lymphoma

Viable cells in suspensions from tissues diagnosed malignant lymphoma usually differed from cells obtained from 22 nonmalignant lymph nodes and spleens both in cytology and in sensitivity to reagents. The malignant lymphomas were classified into 4 categories according to the cytology of the predominating or characteristic cell type: 1) CLL cells with prominent chromatin masses, 2) small, and 3) large LSA cells with prominent nucleoli, and 4) other large cells (malignant histiocytes, plasmablasts). In comparison with normal lymphocytes from blood and lymph nodes, viable cells from some of the cases of malignant lymphoma were more sensitive to the cytocidal effects of prednisolone, dimethyl sulfoxide, heat and L‐asparaginase and were less sensitive to x‐irradiation. Phytohemagglutinin caused little or no transformation in cells from 4 of 6 tissues with malignant lymphoma. The cytology and the in vitro reactions of the viable cells from lymph nodes permitted differentiation of, in many cases, the malignant lymphomas from normal and hyperplastic lymph nodes.