Low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in a child with ataxia telangiectasia.
BACKGROUND
Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) account for approximately 50% of neoplasms in patients with ataxia telangiectasia (AT). Prognosis is poor. Published data regarding the treatment of NHL in patients with AT suggested that these children respond poorly to therapy. The authors report on an infant with AT with mediastinal high-grade T-NHL who remained in continuous complete remission after chemotherapy. Diagnosis of AT was established after tumor diagnosis.


RESULTS
The 7-month-old boy was treated according to the acute lymphoblastic leukemia-Berlin, Frankfurt, Münster 86 protocol. The therapeutic response was prompt, but therapy had to be stopped because of severe side effects. Surprisingly, the boy remained in a stable complete remission for 3 1/2 years. Then tumors in both kidneys occurred and the child died a few months later. Postmortem examination demonstrated large tumors in both kidneys caused by a low-grade malignant lymphoma of B-cell lineage.


CONCLUSIONS
Congenital immune deficiency should be ruled out at diagnosis of rare malignancies in respect to age. NHL in patients with AT can be cured, but poor tolerance to chemotherapy has to be considered. Patients whose disease has been cured may be at high risk for development of a second independent malignancy.
Overberg-Schmidt
U
U
Universitätsklinikum Rudolf Virchow, Standort Wedding, Kinderklinik, Hämatologie/Onkologie, Berlin, Germany.
Wegner
R D
RD
Baumgarten
E
E
Günther
A
A
Ebell
W
W
Stein
H
H
Vogel
M
M
Henze
G
G
D001260:Ataxia Telangiectasia / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000209:etiology*; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000209:etiology*; D012074:Remission Induction