Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma harboring a t(8;14)(q24;q11.2)/TCR::MYC translocation that presented with intestinal infiltration.

Abstract

Although rearrangement of the MYC oncogene (MYC-R) is frequently observed in aggressive B-cell lymphomas, it is extremely rare in T-cell malignancies. A 64-year-old man who had been under observation for several years because of asymptomatic pulmonary extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALToma) was admitted to our hospital because of poor general condition and hypotension. Blood tests revealed thrombocytopenia and elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase levels, whereas computed tomography revealed systemic lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly. An inguinal lymph node biopsy precipitated a diagnosis of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL). Shortly after admission, the patient experienced spontaneous intestinal perforation and hemorrhage caused by multiple intestinal infiltrations of the AITL. Although chemotherapy was administered, the patient died several weeks after admission. A 46,XY,t(8;14)(q24;q11.2) karyotype was identified, and fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses showed split signals for the MYC and T-cell receptor (TCR) alpha genes, by which a TCR::MYC translocation was confirmed. Pathological autopsy analysis revealed systemic infiltration of the AITL and no MALToma lesions. Only a few cases of mature T-cell lymphoma harboring MYC-R have been reported in the literature thus far. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of AITL with TCR::MYC rearrangement. This condition could be associated with refractoriness to chemotherapy and aggressive clinical course with systemic infiltration that included the intestine.