Anaplastic large cell lymphoma presenting as a mass in the uterine cervix: a case report

Abstract

T-cell lymphoma is an extremely rare form of malignancy in the female genital tract. Most of the reported cases of lymphoma are B-cell lymphomas. A few cases of primary T-cell lymphomas involving the vagina or the vulva have been reported. We are reporting the first case of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) presenting as a uterine cervical mass. The patient is a 24-year-old female who presented to the emergency room with a history of menorrhagia, night sweats and 40-pound weight loss. The diagnosis of ALCL was confirmed through immunohistochemical studies with strong CD30 and ALK expression. Fluorescent hybridization showed a rearrangement of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene. Since ALCL may have a variable expression of T-cell antigens, the diagnosis may easily be missed when CD45 and/or CD3 is negative, and screening epithelial stains for carcinoma (e.g., p63 and EMA) are positive. CD30 must be performed to raise the consideration of ALCL when reniform nuclei are observed.