The History of Lymphoma Classifications with Special Consideration of Cutaneous Lymphomas

Medical classifications define and describe specific and characteristic features of disease entities and arrange them in an order [10]. The classifications thus represent a central component of medical pathology and are the conceptual and clinical basis for the 1. diagnosis, 2. therapy and 3. prognosis of diseases [10]. Particularly for diseases with low case numbers, a common classification is inevitable in order to arrive at adequate comparisons regarding incidence, prevalence, prognosis and therapeutic response [17].