Primary breast lymphoma of childhood: a case report and review of literature

BMC Pediatr. 2021 Nov 30;21(1):530. doi: 10.1186/s12887-021-03002-6.

Abstract

Background: Primary breast lymphoma (PBL) is an extremely rare neoplasm in children; by definition, it manifests in the breast without evidence of lymphoma elsewhere, except ipsilateral axillary nodes.

Case presentation: We report a case of a 15-year-old girl diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the right breast: the patient received chemotherapy and rituximab, achieving complete remission. A literature review revealed other 11 cases of pediatric PBL; it mainly affects female adolescents and can involve right and left breast equally. Different histologic subtypes have been described, arising from both B-cell and T-cell. Therapeutic approaches were very different, from chemotherapy to local treatment with surgery and/or radiotherapy.

Conclusions: Our case is the first in which rituximab was administered, suggesting to be a promising therapy in B-cell PBL, as already demonstrated in pediatric B-cell lymphoma from other sites. Further investigations are needed to identify prognostic factors and establish the most effective treatment.

Keywords: Children; Primary breast lymphoma; rituximab.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
  • Breast Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Breast Neoplasms* / therapy
  • Child
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse* / diagnosis
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse* / drug therapy
  • Remission Induction
  • Rituximab / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Rituximab