Clinical implications of progressive transformation of germinal centers.

Fifty patients whose lymph node biopsies showed reactive follicular hyperplasia with the presence of progressive transformation of germinal centers were evaluated for current status of health, prior or subsequent development of Hodgkin's disease, and etiology of the lymph node hyperplasia. Histologically, on a background of reactive follicular hyperplasia, the nodes contained one or more germinal centers showing progressive transformation. These were three to four times the diameter of the other germinal centers and composed predominantly of small, round lymphocytes admixed with scattered immunoblasts and occasional benign histiocytes. Clinically, the majority of these patients were young males presenting with an asymptomatic solitary enlarged lymph node. fifteen had prior Hodgkin's disease. Five had concurrent progressive transformation of germinal centers and lymphocytic predominance Hodgkin's disease (two of these also had a subsequent biopsy showing only progressive transformation of germinal centers). All are currently free of Hodgkin's disease at 1-21 years. The largest group of 31 patients had no prior or subsequent Hodgkin's disease. One of the 50 developed multiple myeloma. Recognition of this phenomenon is important so that it will not be misconstrued as recurrent Hodgkin's disease, as de novo Hodgkin's disease, or as follicular lymphoma, which occurred in 12 (24%) of the cases.