Immunoblastic peripheral T-cell lymphoma confined to bone marrow in an infant presenting with aspergillosis

Med Pediatr Oncol. 1988;16(3):220-3. doi: 10.1002/mpo.2950160314.

Abstract

A 16-month-old female infant presenting with pancytopenia and fever was found to have pulmonary aspergillosis and large-cell immunoblastic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of peripheral post-thymic origin isolated to bone marrow. Extensive noninvasive evaluations failed to demonstrate the disease in other extramedullary sites. The malignant cells were large and polymorphous; lacked terminal transferase; expressed surface CD-2, CD-3, CD-8, and HLA-DR antigens, and showed rearrangements of the T-cell-receptor beta-chain gene. To our knowledge, this type of lymphoma in an infant has not been reported before. Furthermore, aspergillosis is a rare presenting feature in patients with lymphoproliferative disease. In our case, it may reflect an underlying immune deficiency associated with the transformation and proliferation of a suppressor T cell.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aspergillosis / immunology*
  • Aspergillus flavus
  • Bone Marrow Diseases / genetics
  • Bone Marrow Diseases / pathology*
  • DNA, Neoplasm
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Lung Diseases, Fungal / immunology*
  • Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / genetics
  • Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / pathology*
  • Nucleic Acid Hybridization
  • Opportunistic Infections
  • Ploidies
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / genetics
  • T-Lymphocytes

Substances

  • DNA, Neoplasm
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell