Cell Junctions in Lymphomas: Study of a Primary Ovarian T-Cell Lymphoma and Review of Fifty-Six Other Cases of Lymphoma

A case of primary ovarian lymphoma was studied by light microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy. The ultrastructural study revealed the presence of cell junctions of the paired subplasmalemmal densities and tight junctions between adjacent lymphoid cells. Fifty-six cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma randomly selected from the files of the Electron Microscopy Facility of the Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, were reviewed. Paired subplasmalemmal densities and tight junctions were identified in five of the cases (9%). This study suggests that the absence of cell junctions should not be considered an essential criterion for the ultrastructural diagnosis of lymphomas.