Background: Despite their sometimes deceivingly bland appearance, some small-cell lymphomas are very aggressive and the prognosis of patients depends on a prompt diagnosis that allows the initiation of appropriate therapy.
Summary: The present review discusses the salient cytological features of the most common aggressive small-cell lymphomas and then proceeds to analyze their main diagnostic criteria, including the usage of ancillary techniques.
Key messages: Lymph node fine-needle aspiration cytology is a fast, safe, cheap, minimally invasive, and accurate procedure that can be used for a prompt and accurate diagnosis of lymphomas.
Keywords: Aggressive lymphoma; Burkitt lymphoma; Fine-needle aspiration cytology; Mantle cell lymphoma; Small-cell lymphoma.
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