The evaluation of a patient with a mass in the head and neck may require the consideration of lymphoma in the process of differential diagnosis. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(NHL) constitutes a diverse group of diseases with differences in natural history, response to therapy and prognosis. Unlike Hodgkin's disease where the pattern of spread appears to be via contiguous lymph node chains, in NHL the spread is non-contiguous. The high frequency of bone marrow involvement and frequent extranodal disease suggests early hematogeneous spread. Although cell surface marker study, which have recently become available, a classification proposed by Rappaport has been widely accepted and is based on a diffuse or nodular pattern of lymph node pathology, the type of malignant cell and degree of differentiation. The authors experienced 25 cases of clinically and pathologically diagnosed NHL in the head and neck from January 1983 to March 1989, and clinical observation and analysis were performed with review of literatures.