Classification of malignant lymphomas of the mouse using morphological, immunological, and cytochemical methods: a working proposal.

We review techniques used to classify malignant lymphomas of the laboratory mouse. Besides an initial morphologic classification according to the Rappaport scheme for human lymphomas, individual tumor types were further subclassified by use of immunocytological T- and B-cell determinations as well as by histochemical procedures. The results, which allow a certain appraisal of the maturation stage of lymphoma cells, are discussed taking as examples six different experimental mouse lymphomas.