Mantle-zone lymphoma: a follicular variant of intermediate lymphocytic lymphoma.

A clinicopathologic analysis of 12 cases of a morphologically distinctive non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphoma which appeared to arise from the mantle zones of secondary lymphoid follicles is presented. In lymph node and spleen sections, atypical small lymphoid cells with slightly irregular and indented nuclear contours proliferated as wide mantles around non-neoplastic-appearing germinal centers. Surface marker analysis performed on lymph nodes revealed a monoclonal B-cell proliferation in two cases. Clinically, the patients usually had advanced disease (Stage III or IV) associated with splenomegaly. This lymphoma appears to be relatively low-grade, since nine of 12 patients are alive with a median follow-up period of 28.5 months. We believe that thie "mantle-zone lymphoma" represents a nodular or follicular variant of intermediate lymphocytic lymphoma.