Non-Hodgkin lymphoma(NHL): Symptoms & Diagnosis
Symptoms The symptoms of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) vary greatly depending on the type and extent of involvement. In general, aggressive lymphoma is characterized by a rapidly enlarging mass, systemic B symptoms, elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and uric acid. These aggressive lymphomas include diffuse large B cell lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma, mature T cell lymphoma, and precursor B or T lymphoblastic lymphoma. Indolent lymphoma may be a slowly growing mass, liver and spleen enlargement, and cytopenia. These lymphomas include follicular lymphoma, small lymphocytic lymphoma, and marginal zone lymphoma. About 40 percent of NHL patients have systemic symptoms called B symptoms. B symptoms means fever over 38 degrees, weight loss over 10 percent for 6 months, night sweats. These symptoms are more pronounced in aggressive lymphoma and are associated with prognosis. Also, lymphadenopathy appears in more than two thirds of NHL patients. Lymphadenopathy is often seen to be r...