title: ALK-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the duodenum: A case report and review of the literature.
abstract: Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (ALK+DLBCL) is characterized by the presence of immunoblastic or plasmablastic cells with a strong ALK protein expression that is frequently associated with t(2;17)(p23;q23). The present study reports a case of ALK+DLBCL in a 26-year-old male with a duodenal mass. Histologically, the neoplastic cells demonstrated prominent plasmablastic differentiation with abundant amphophilic cytoplasma and central nucleoli. Paraffin immunohistochemistry revealed: an exclusively cytoplasmic granular expression of ALK; CD138, immunoglobulin A (IgA) and CD79α positivity; and focal expression of multiple myeloma oncogene 1 (Mum-1), CD30 and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA). However, the immunohistochemical staining was negative for CD3, CD38 and CD20. Fluorescencein situhybridization (FISH) analysis using an ALK break-apart probe revealed the presence of ALK gene rearrangements in the patient. To the best of our knowledge, the current case represents the first example of primary extranodal ALK+DLBCL presenting as a duodenal mass.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Dongliang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wenwen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ran
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Huamin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
keywords: anaplastic lymphoma kinase; diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; duodenum