World Health Organization classification

One of the most important steps in the management of patients with lymphoma, is establishing an accurate diagnosis. To do so, an adequate amount of tissue should be obtained for analysis and diagnostic work-up. Ideally, an excisional biopsy of a disease site or an enlarged lymph node should be performed. A less invasive, large core needle biopsy can also be sufficient in many cases to establish a diagnosis. However, fine needle aspiration is not considered appropriate for establishing a specific diagnosis of lymphoma.