Is There Such A Thing As A Benign Lymphoma?

Usually, even if a subtype of lymphoma is known to be indolent (slow-growing), it is considered a malignant disease, one that, if left untreated and unchecked, would eventually prove to be fatal.

However, there is such a thing as a benign lymphoma, referred to clinically as either a pseudolymphoma or as a benign lymphoid hyperplasia (BLH).

Benign lymphoma tends to mimic malignant lymphomas both in how they act (clinically) and in how they appear under the microscope (histologically). Such lymphomas have been reported in various sites across the body, including the skin, the lungs, the liver, the orbits, the gastrointestinal tract, and in soft tissue sites. Unfortunately in many cases, these lymphomas so accurately mimic malignant lymphomas that proper diagnosis can be very difficult.

Despite their 'benign' status, these lymphomas often demand some sort of treatment, in part for fear that they develop into malignant lymphomas. They may also be treated to relieve lymphoma symptoms of excessive nodal swelling.

Sources:

• Bergman R. Pseudolymphoma and cutaneous lymphoma: facts and controversies. Clin Dermatol. 2010 Sep-Oct;28(5):568-74
• McElroy MK et al. Benign lymphoid hyperplasia (pseudolymphoma) of soft tissue. Hum Pathol. 2011 Jun 8.
• Kojima M et al. Reactive lymphoid hyperplasia with giant follicles associated with a posttherapeutic state of hematological malignancies. A report of eight cases. Tumori. 2010 Jan-Feb;96(1):143-8.

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