No abstract

Background: Lymphoma is a malignant disease of the immune system with the most rapidly increasing incidence in many countries. According to 2008 WHO classification, lymphoma can be classified according to: Hodgkin lymphoma or non-Hodgkin lymphoma, B-cell or T-cell and the site from which the cell arises. This classification system is important because it affects treatment and prognosis. There are numerous subtypes of NHL which is a reflection of the complex growth and differentiation of the type of lymphocytes they developed in. This study aimed to elucidate the incidence and prevalence of lymphoma encountered in a private service hospital in Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia. Materials and methods: A total of 210 patients' records were retrieved from the archives of Pantai Hospital KL, from 2010 to 2015. The histopathology slides were reviewed and confirmed according to the WHO proposed scheme. Immuno-histochemical staining with a panel of lymphoid antibodies was performed accordingly and data were categorized and statistically analyzed. Results: Among the 210 patients, 55% were males and 45% were females. There were 27% Malays, 53% Chinese and 8% Indians. The ages of patients ranged from 8 to 92 years with a mean age of 51 years. 46% of the cases were nodal tissue with the most common lymphoma encountered was Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (51%), Follicular-lymphoma (10%) and Marginal Zone Lymphoma (7.6%). Conclusion: Significant difference was found in terms of ethnicities (p = 0.046) with patients' age group. Further studies can help to better understand the underlying differences in the multi-ethnic population of Malaysia.