Concurrent and Clonally Related Pediatric Follicular Lymphoma and Burkitt Lymphoma in a 5-Year-Old Boy

Lab Med. 2016 Feb;47(1):43-7. doi: 10.1093/labmed/lmv014.

Abstract

Pediatric follicular lymphoma shares morphologic similarities with the adult form of the disease but lacks other classic features of adult lymphoma, including t(14;18) translocation, BCL2 overexpression, and transformation to aggressive higher-grade lymphoma. Herein, we report a novel case in which a 5-year-old boy (ethnicity unknown) had follicular lymphoma, along with concurrent high-grade and clonally related disease that fulfilled all of the morphologic, immunophenotypic, and genetic criteria for Burkitt lymphoma, including a t(8;14) translocation involving the MYC gene. To our knowledge, this case is the first reported instance of transformation of follicular lymphoma of any sort into true Burkitt lymphoma and the first reported instance of acquisition of MYC abnormalities in pediatric follicular lymphoma.

Keywords: Burkitt lymphoma; IgH rearrangement; MYC translocation; fluorescence in situ hybridization; pediatric follicular lymphoma; transformed B-cell lymphoma.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Burkitt Lymphoma / complications*
  • Burkitt Lymphoma / diagnosis*
  • Burkitt Lymphoma / pathology
  • Child, Preschool
  • Humans
  • Lymphoma, Follicular / complications*
  • Lymphoma, Follicular / diagnosis*
  • Lymphoma, Follicular / pathology
  • Male