The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies Hodgkin lymphoma into 2 main groups:
Classical types of Hodgkin lymphoma: There are four (4) types of classical Hodgkin lymphoma. The classical type is confirmed by the histological presence of the ‘Reed-Sternberg cells.’
What are Reed-Sternberg cells? These are a type of B lymphocyte which is larger than usual and bears two nuclei. These are the abnormal cancerous cells in classical Hodgkin lymphoma.
The 4 types of classical Hodgkin lymphoma are:
Nodular lymphocyte predominant type: The nodular lymphocyte predominant type is a localized and slow growing type of Hodgkin lymphoma. This type accounts for about 5% of cases of Hodgkin lymphoma and is more common in older people. This type is also a histologically distinct group as it has very few Reed-Sternberg cells. There is a predominance of other abnormal cells.