Sponsored by the Korean Society of Hematology as an annual academic project in
1976, this survey was carried out to obtain collective and authentic informations on
malignant lymphomas among Korean population.
This was she second survey on the malignant lymphomas by this Society. The first
survey on malignant lymphomas was done in 1966, covering the cases diagnosed before
the end of September, 1966, and the results of this first survey was published in 1968
(Lee, Choo Hyung et al: Korean Journal of Hematology, vol. 3, p.1-16).
So that the present survey comprised the cases of malignant lymphomam which were
diagnosed histopathologically in the ten years period between October 1, 1966 and
September 31, 1976.
Sufficient number of printed blank forms (Fig.1 and 2) were sent to major teaching
hospitals throughout the nation, and 18 of them responded in time for the collective
analysis (Table 2), and a total of 1019 cases were collected. The classification of
malignant lymphoma adopted in this survey was the one which was proposed by Dr.
Berard,
The results obtained were as follows:
1. Of the total number of 1019 cases, male to female ratio was 2.1:1 (Table 2).
2. Of the 860 cases which could be classified accroding to the sex, age and
histopathological diagnesis, there were 732 cases of non-Hodgkin¡¯s group of mailgnant
lymphoma, and 128 cases of Hodgkin¡¯s group of malignant lymphoma (5.7 : 1 in ratio).
As in the figure 4, the pediatric age group occupied 12.3% of the non-Hodgkin¡¯ group,
and 9.4% of the Hodgkin¡¯s group. In the non-Hodgkin¡¯s group histiocytic lymphoma
soccupied the largest group of 57.1%. In the Hodgkin¡¯s lympholnas the mixed cellulrity
type occupied the largest proportion of 51.8%. The peak incidences of both non-Hodgki
n¡¯s and Hodgkin¡¯s lymphoma were found in fourth decade.
3. The case distributions according to the stages wore summarized in table 6.
4. The presenting symptoms at the time of first visit to the hospital were summarized
in table 7.
5. In the clinical manifestations, the bleeding tendencies were found in the 13.6% of
the pediatric age group, and 7.1% of the adult age group (Tables 8 and 9).
6. Lymph node enlargements were found in 76.3% of pediatric age group and 72.3% of
the adult age group (Tables 11 and 12).
Hepatomegaly was found in 21.7% of the 425 cases in the non-Hodgkin¡¯s lymphoma
group, and 30.0% of the 80 cases in the Hodgkin¡¯s lymphomas group (Table 12).
Spleen was Palpable in 12.8% of the non-Hodgkin¡¯s lymphomas, and 15.4% of the
Hodgkin¡¯s lymphomas(Table 14)
7. In the laboratory findings, the data of hemoglobin and hematocrit, on the basis of
the first hospital examination, were collected in Tables 15, 16, 17 and 18.
Values of male and female patients were tabled separately, because of the difference
of their normal values. The data for the leukocyte counts, platelet counts, coagulation
time and bleeding time were summarized in tables 29, 21, 22, 23 and 24.
8. The data for serum protein and A/G ratio were summarized in tables 25 and 26.
9. Among the casts she bone marrow aspiration study were recorded, lymphoma
(neoplastic) calls were found in 33.6% of the non-Hodgkin¡¯s group, and 29.6% of the
Hodgkn¡¯s group.
However transition to the leukemia was recorded only in 9 cases of the non-Hodgki
n¡¯s group. This admittedly low percentage was partly ascribed to the fact that, from
the beginning this survey did not include the leukemia cases, and many of the clinically
obvious leukemia cases whether they were thought to he transitted from malignant
lymphoma or not, were excluded from this survey at the individual participitated
institution.
10. The results of follow-up and therapy instituted wore summarized in Tables 29 and
30.
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