Primary cardiac diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with concurrent high MYC and BCL2 expression in an immunocompetent Chinese elderly woman

Cardiovasc Pathol. 2017 Nov-Dec:31:54-56. doi: 10.1016/j.carpath.2017.07.006. Epub 2017 Aug 4.

Abstract

Primary cardiac lymphoma is a rare type of extranodal lymphoma that involves only heart and/or pericardium. It is usually observed in immunodeficient people. However, immunocompetent patients may also suffer from this disease. Most primary cardiac lymphomas are of B-cell lineage, and they usually present as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with concurrently high MYC and BCL2 expression, which is named as double-expressor lymphoma (DEL), is a rare subtype of DLBCL. Here we report a rare case of a primary cardiac DEL in an immunocompetent 65-year old Chinese woman. Echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mass of 6.6 cm×5.6 cm in the right atrium. No tumor formations were observed in other organs. Histopathologic examination showed that the cardiac tumor was diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, non-germinal center B-cell type by Hans algorithm. The tumor cells showed high MYC and BCL2 protein expression by immunohistochemistry, with high proliferative index.

Keywords: Cardiac lymphoma; Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; Double-expressor lymphoma.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Asian People / genetics
  • Female
  • Heart Neoplasms / genetics
  • Heart Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Heart Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / genetics
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / metabolism
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / pathology*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / biosynthesis*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / biosynthesis*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / genetics

Substances

  • BCL2 protein, human
  • MYC protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc