title: Natural killer lymphoma/leukemia: an uncommon pediatric case with indolent course.
abstract: Natural killer (NK) cell lymphomas are rare in the USA and Europe but more common in Asia and Central America although very rare among children. We report a case of Epstein-Barr virus-positive NK lymphoma/leukemia, that showed peculiar features represented by a very long clinical course with a significant interval between the first clinical signs and the diagnosis, detection of neoplastic cells in the peripheral blood but not in the bone marrow, and good response to treatment and clinical outcome.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia, 78, 95123 Catania, Italy. adicata@unict.it
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Cataldo
authors.forename: Gregoria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bertuna
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mirabile
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Munda
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tettoni
authors.forename: Luigi D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Notarangelo
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Facchetti
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lo Nigro
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D007938:Leukemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D004279:DNA, Viral; D014747:Vinblastine