How to diagnose malignant lymphoma

Malignant lymphoma is a malignant tumor that originates in lymph nodes or other lymphatic tissues. Its early symptoms or signs are painless, progressive swelling of superficial lymph nodes without obvious causes. It is very easy to be ignored, causing the disease to worsen. So, how should we diagnose swollen lymph nodes when they occur?

First, the medical history should be inquired in detail, including the first symptoms, the time of onset of lymph node enlargement and the subsequent rate of increase, and the presence or absence of systemic symptoms, such as fever, night sweats, itchy skin, weight loss, etc. For non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the presence or absence of gastrointestinal symptoms should be inquired.

When the patient is examined for physical signs, the main focus is on whether the superficial lymph nodes of the whole body are enlarged, whether the skin and appendages are invaded, and whether the pharyngeal lymph ring, breast, testicles, etc. are invaded. Other symptoms include obstruction of venous or lymphatic return, tracheal compression, superior vena cava syndrome, etc.

There are generally several methods for diagnosing lymphoma: 1. Pathological examination: lymph node, skin biopsy and liver puncture biopsy when necessary; 2. Imaging examination: ordinary X-ray examination, CT, MRI, PET, etc.; 3. Bone marrow examination: including bone marrow smear and bone marrow biopsy; 4. Cellular immune examination: E rosette, lymphocyte transformation, macrophage test, skin test, etc.; 5. Laparotomy: only performed in selected cases, especially for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; 6. Check biochemical indicators that affect prognosis: lactate dehydrogenase, B2 microglobulin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate.