non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) /- hoj″kənz/ , a diverse group of malignant solid tumors of peripheral lymphoid tissue, distinguished from Hodgkin’s lymphoma by the absence of Reed-Sternberg cells. The most common manifestation is a painless enlargement of one or more peripheral lymph nodes. The prevalence of Hodgkin’s lymphoma peaks at 50 years of age and may be mild or aggressively malignant, depending upon cell category.
