Follicular lymphoma with a burkitt translocation--predictor of an aggressive clinical course: a case report and review of the literature.
Follicular lymphoma is an indolent lymphoma characterized by the (14;18) translocation, which leads to aberrant expression of Bcl-2. Translocations involving 8q24 are most commonly associated with Burkitt lymphoma and result in c-Myc overexpression. We report a case of follicular lymphoma of predominant small cleaved-cell type (grade 1) associated with both a t(14;18)(q32;q21) and a t(8;22)(q24;q11). The 8q24 translocation predicted an aggressive clinical course, as the lymphoma transformed into acute lymphoblastic leukemia within a year of initial diagnosis. Routine cytogenetic analysis is recommended at initial diagnosis of follicular lymphoma to better identify abnormalities that may predict prognosis and influence therapy.
Voorhees
Peter M
PM
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7525, USA.
Carder
Kathryn A
KA
Smith
Scott V
SV
Ayscue
Lanier H
LH
Rao
Kathleen W
KW
Dunphy
Cherie H
CH
D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D002898:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 8; D020732:Cytogenetic Analysis; D018450:Disease Progression; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D019254:Genes, bcl-2; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D014178:Translocation, Genetic