Small cleaved cells are a distinctive type of cell that appears in certain types of lymphoma.

When used to uniquely identify a type of lymphoma, they are usually categorized as follicular (C82.0) or diffuse (C83.1) .

The "small cleaved cells" are usually centrocytes that express B-cell markers such as CD20. The disease is strongly correlated with the genetic translocation t(14;18), which results in juxtaposition of the bcl-2 proto-oncogene with the heavy chain JH locus, and thus in overexpression of bcl-2. Bcl-2 is a well known anti-apoptotic gene, and thus its overexpression results in the "failure to die" motif of cancer seen in follicular lymphoma.

Follicular lymphoma must be carefully monitored, as it often progresses into a more aggressive "Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma."

• Abe M, Wakasa H (1994). "Histogenesis and pathogenesis of follicular small cleaved cell lymphoma (FSCCL), diffuse small cleaved cell lymphoma (DSCCL) and intermediate lymphocytic lymphoma/lymphocytic lymphoma of intermediate differentiation (ILL/IDL)". Fukushima J Med Sci. 40 (2): 85–101. PMID 7642169.
• Abe M, Ono N, Tominaga K, Hojo H, Seto M, Fukuhara S, Wakasa H (1992). "Histogenesis of diffuse small cleaved cell lymphoma. An immunohistochemical and molecular genetic (bcl-2 gene) study with comparison to follicular small cleaved cell lymphoma and mantle zone lymphoma". Cancer. 70 (4): 821–9. doi:10.1002/1097-0142(19920815)70:4<821::AID-CNCR2820700417>3.0.CO;2-Y. PMID 1643614.
• Lymphoma,+Small+Cleaved-Cell,+Follicular at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
• Lymphoma,+Small+Cleaved-Cell,+Diffuse at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)