Three coexisting lymphomas in one patient: genetically related or only a coincidence?

J Clin Pathol. 2006 Dec;59(12):1312-5. doi: 10.1136/jcp.2005.030825.

Abstract

The simultaneous manifestation of different lymphomas in the same patient or even in the same tissue, defined as composite lymphoma, is very rare. The exceptional case of a patient who, presented with simultaneous manifestation of three different lymphomas after 30 years of successful treatment of a nodal T cell lymphoma is reported here. The three lymphomas were: (1) primary cutaneous marginal zone B cell lymphoma (MZBL); (2) nodal Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated classic Hodgkin's lymphoma (cHL) of the B cell type; and (3) peripheral T cell lymphoma coexisting in the skin and cervical lymph node. Immunohistochemical and molecular analyses showed different clonal origins of EBV-negative cutaneous MZBL and EBV-positive B cell cHL and, in addition, the presence of the same clonal T cell population in the skin and lymph node. The simultaneous occurrence of three different, clonally unrelated lymphomas in one patient at the same time has not been reported yet.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / complications
  • Female
  • Hodgkin Disease / genetics
  • Hodgkin Disease / immunology
  • Hodgkin Disease / pathology
  • Hodgkin Disease / virology
  • Humans
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Lymphoma / genetics
  • Lymphoma / immunology
  • Lymphoma / pathology*
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / genetics
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / immunology
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / pathology
  • Lymphoma, T-Cell, Peripheral / genetics
  • Lymphoma, T-Cell, Peripheral / immunology
  • Lymphoma, T-Cell, Peripheral / pathology
  • Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / genetics
  • Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / immunology
  • Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / pathology*
  • Skin Neoplasms / genetics
  • Skin Neoplasms / immunology
  • Skin Neoplasms / pathology