T-cell rich B-cell lymphoma masquerading as Hodgkin disease: excellent outcome to inadequate therapy.
T-cell rich B-cell lymphomas (TCRBCL) are characterized as non-Hodgkin lymphomas with a minor population of malignant B-cells scattered among predominant, reactive T-lymphocytes. This entity can easily be confused with lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin disease (HD-LP), resulting in inappropriate therapy and a poor outcome. Because of their similarity, the pathology of patients treated for HD-LP with an inadequate or short-lived response to therapy should always be reviewed by an expert hematopathologist. We describe the first reported patient in Puerto Rico with TCRBCL, originally diagnosed and treated as HD-LP. Although the patient received partial, substandard therapy for TCRBCL, an excellent prolonged complete response ensued, thus, giving further credence to the fact that malignant lymphomas and TCRBCL in particular, are a protean group of disorders which should be precisely and accurately classified before the proper therapeutic strategies can be outlined.
Department of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan 00936-5067.
L
L
Acabá
N
N
Santiago
E
E
Vélez García
D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D013601:T-Lymphocytes; D016896:Treatment Outcome