Role of immunohistochemistry in differentiating between reactive and malignant lymphoid hyperplasia - A cross-sectional study

Differentiating reactive lymphoid hyperplasia from malignant lymphoma poses a diagnostic challenge due to overlapping clinical and histopathological features. Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate the utility of immunohistochemistry (IHC) in distinguishing benign reactive changes from malignant lymphoid proliferations. Lymph node biopsies from patients presenting with persistent lymphadenopathy were assessed histologically and subjected to a panel of IHC markers including CD3, CD20, CD10, BCL2 and Ki-67. The analysis revealed that IHC not only confirmed lineage specificity but also helped to identify aberrant antigen expression and proliferative indices characteristic of malignancy. Thus, we show the pivotal role of IHC in improving diagnostic accuracy, reducing misclassification and guiding appropriate therapeutic decisions in patients with lymphoid hyperplasia.