Apoptotic index: Discriminant feature for the differentiation of cutaneous diffuse malignant follicular center cell lymphomas from lymphoid hyperplasia

Diffuse subtypes of cutaneous lymphoid hyperplasia (CLH; n = 18) and primary malignant follicular center cell lymphoma of the skin (FCCL, n = 11) were diagnosed by conventional histology, immunophenotyping on paraffin sections, and gene rearrangement analysis. We then counted on semithin, Azur A-stained sections of resin-re-embedded biopsy specimens the relative numbers of apoptotic bodies among all lymphoid cells (apoptotic index [AI]). The diagnostic value of AI was compared to that of mitotic indices (MI) and percentages of various cell types in the cutaneous infiltrate. Features of cellular infiltrates distinguishing to two groups of lesions, in the order of decreasing significance, were percent large lymphoid cells, percent medium-sized lymphoid cells (both higher in FCCL); percent small lymphoid cells, percent epithelioid/giant cells, and percent histiocytes/macrophages (all three higher in CLH). However, of all parameters tested, AI had the greatest discriminant value (median in FCCL 1.11%, in CLH 0.14%; p = 8 × 10-6). Two cases, diagnosed as CLH with all morphologic and immunologic methods used, showed B-cell monoclonality at the DNA level. Linear discriminant analysis determined the following order of distinctive power of variables: 1) AI; 2) MI; 3) percent small lymphoid cells; 4) percent medium-sized lymphoid cells; 5) percent large lymphoid cells; 6) percent epithelioid/giant cells; and 7) percent histiocytes/macrophages. The present study thus establishes AI as an important parameter in the differentiation of diffuse CLH from diffuse cutaneous FCCL. © 1993.