Zastosowanie cytometrii przepływowej do wstępnej diagnostyki nieziarniczych chłoniaków złośliwych u dzieci

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas (NHL) comprise more than 5% of childhood malignancies. NHL in children are usually high-grade tumors, characterized by very rapid growth and aggressive clinical behavior. Therefore, rapid diagnosis of NHL is of utmost importance. This review summarizes current knowledge on application of flow cytometric immunophenotyping for initial diagnostics of pediatric NHL. Compared to conventional histopathology and immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry is characterized by higher sensitivity, reduced interpretive subjectivity and enables multiple antibody labeling or quantification of antigen expression. Multiparameter flow cytometry is an important supplement to histopathologic examination as a tool for initial diagnostics enabling more rapid and precise diagnosis of childhood NHL leading to immediate initiation of an optimal treatment protocol.