Is Hodgkin lymphoma just another B-cell lymphoma?

Hodgkin disease was the first defined lymphoid neoplasm. For many decades it was regarded as a disease separate from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. However, recent studies have shown that the dysplastic cells of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) are monoclonal B cells. This finding raised again the question "Is HL just another B-cell lymphoma?" This article reviews the different aspects of HL and B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL), concluding that-despite the same cell of origin-fundamental differences exist in morphology, cellular composition, immunophenotype, activation or inhibition of transcription factors, epigenetics, and clinical behavior. These findings lead us to conclude that HL and B-NHLs should stay as two separate categories.