How I diagnose B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders with plasmacytic differentiation

Intended Audience: Pathologists, Residents, Clinical Scientists, Pathologist Assistants

Upon completion of this activity, you will be able to:

• Summarize the clinical features that can help to differentiate lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, nodal marginal zone lymphoma, splenic marginal zone lymphoma, extranodal marginal zone lymphomas (such as in stomach or lung), and plasma cell neoplasm.

• Outline a strategy for applying flow cytometry to differentiate the above listed B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders with plasmacytic differentiation, and identify patterns of expression that may be overlapping among these disorders.

• List the known genetic alterations, including mutations and translocations, that can assist in the differential diagnosis of B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders with plasmacytic differentiation.