Grey Zone Lymphomas: Lymphomas with Intermediate Features

Abstract

The current classification of lymphoid neoplasms is based on clinical information, morphology, immunophenotype, and molecular genetic characteristics. Despite technical and scientific progress, some aggressive B-cell lymphomas with features overlapping between two different types of lymphomas remain difficult to classify. The updated 2008 World Health Organization (WHO) classification of Tumours of the Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues has addressed this problem by creation of two new provisional categories of B-cell lymphomas, unclassifiable; one with features intermediate between diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and classical Hodgkin lymphoma and the second with features intermediate between diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and Burkitt lymphoma. We review here the diagnostic criteria of these two provisional entities and discuss new scientific findings in light of the 2008 WHO classification.