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Lymphoma
High-YieldFree study guide for medical students and educators
~2 min readLast reviewed 2026-02-23
Also known as:lymphoid cancer
Malignant neoplasms of lymphoid tissue (nodes or extranodal) subdivided into Hodgkin and non‑Hodgkin categories.
- Common cause of persistent, painless lymphadenopathy with B symptoms; approach differs by subtype.
- Rubbery, non‑tender nodes; B symptoms (fever, night sweats, weight loss)
- Mediastinal mass on chest imaging (HL) or extranodal disease (NHL)
- Localized single region → think HL; widespread/non‑contiguous → think NHL
- Always biopsy an accessible node; avoid empiric steroids before biopsy
| Condition | Distinguishing Feature |
|---|---|
| leukemia | dominant marrow/blood involvement with blasts |
| infectious_dz | tender nodes, acute infectious symptoms |
- Young adult with B symptoms + mediastinal mass (HL)
- Indolent waxing/waning nodes in middle‑aged adult (FL)
⚡At a Glance
High-YieldSpecialtyHematology & Oncology
Key findingsRubbery, non‑tender nodes; B symptoms (fever, night sweats,...; Mediastinal mass on chest imaging (HL) or extranodal...