Two Unrelated Burkitt Lymphomas Seven Years Apart in a Patient With X-Linked Lymphoproliferative Disease Type 1 (XLP1)

Abstract

Objectives: We describe a rare case of a male child with X-linked lymphoproliferative disease type 1 (XLP1) who presented with Burkitt lymphoma (BL) when he was 6 years old, achieved a complete response to therapy, and developed a second BL after seven years.

Methods: Diagnostic H&E stained slides and ancillary studies were reviewed for both lymphomas. B-cell clonality by PCR and SNP array studies were performed on both specimens.

Results: Both lymphomas were Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) negative. Flow cytometry showed λ light chain restriction in the initial BL and κ light chain restriction in the subsequent BL. B-cell clonality testing indicated that the two lymphomas are not clonally related. SNP array analysis of the second BL showed genomic changes that were not present in the first BL.

Conclusions: These results confirm that these two tumors represent unrelated BLs. Pathologists and clinicians should be aware that second lymphomas in XLP1 patients may represent new neoplasms rather than late relapses.

Keywords: B-cell clonality; Burkitt lymphoma; SNP array analysis; X-linked lymphoproliferative disease type 1.