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Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma

diffuse large B-cell lymphoma that is is characterized by a diffuse proliferation of medium to large B-cells associated with sclerosis

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General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionNov 24, 2025
Entity authorityQ53660452 ↗
Source-derived summary

Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma, abbreviated PMBL or PMBCL, is a rare type of lymphoma that forms in the mediastinum (the space in between the lungs) and predominantly affects young adults.

While it had previously been considered a subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma when first described in the early 1980s, the World Health Organization no longer classifies it as such, based on distinct clinicopathologic and molecular features.

Pathophysiology

PMBCL arises from a putative thymic peripheral B cell. It has several distinctive biological features. Molecular analysis shows that PMBCL is distinct from other types of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL). MAL gene expression is seen in 70%, unlike other diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. Gene expression profiling shows considerable variance from other DLBCLs and similarity to Hodgkin disease.

PMBCL is CD20 positive, expresses pan-B markers including CD79a, and has clonal immunoglobulin gene rearrangements and mRNA but paradoxically does not express cytoplasmic or cell surface immunoglobulin.

Clinically, PMBCL is unusual in several respects. Despite 80% PMBCL being stage I or II, the presenting anterior mediastinal mass is often over 10 cm and is locally invasive of lung, chest wall, pleura, and pericardium.

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma” as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma that is is characterized by a diffuse proliferation of medium to large B-cells associated with sclerosis. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA concise reference frame for defining the subject, testing terminology and identifying the institution closest to the evidence. The current 189-word lead offers orientation but no explicit four-digit date, so chronology should not be assumed. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. The account is most persuasive where Primary, mediastinal and B-cell can be independently traced.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma that is is characterized by a diffuse proliferation of medium to large B-cells associated with sclerosis. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Nov 24, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q53660452. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.

Critical limits

A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
Verify next

The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma primary sources, Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma archive and Primary research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma”?
  2. Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
  3. Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.