Swollen lymph node for months. tested -ve for mono, ebv and cmv. biopsy says "atypical reactive hyperplasia. case for immunophenotyping." meaning?

Diagnosis needed: What we need here is the 'cause' for your swollen lymph nodes. Hopefully your doctors are working hard to figure this out. Immunophenotyping is a technique used to study the protein expressed by cells - and therefore a way to 'identify' what cells they are and therefore 'what is' the disease process. Hope you can get some answers and therefore treatment soon. Take care.

Indeterminate: Lymphoid proliferation in swollen gland can be classified into 2 groups either benign or malignant proliferation (lymphoma). Atypical reactive hyperplasia represents a condition between benign and malignant proliferation. Using current criteria, pathologist can not truthfully make the decision (indeterminate). Therefore, they send further immunotyping or molecular study to rule out malignancy.

May help: Atypical reactive hyperplasia suggests that there is some pathologic process in place. Whether a lymphoma is developing remains to be seen. One of the more common viruses seen in the lymphocyte progressing to lymphoma is the MMTV virus. By employing IMMUNOPHENOTYPING one utilizes the technique of identifying molecules that are associated with lymphoma cells and that help to characterize them. The molecules are identified by using special antibodies that bind to them specifically . One is capable of discerning whether the process of lymphoma is in play.