An Unusual Case of Hepatosplenic αβ T-Cell Lymphoma Presenting with Coombs'-Negative Hemolytic Anemia

Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL) is a rare and aggressive extranodal T-cell lymphoma that comprises <5% of peripheral T-cell lymphomas. The majority of cases harbor the γδT-cell receptor (TCR), but recently, a few cases have been shown to express the αß TCR. Comparison of these two subtypes...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Feryal A. Ibrahim, Vignesh Shanmugam, Aliaa Amer, Halima El-Omri, Ahmad Al-Sabbagh, Ruba Y. Taha, Dina S. Soliman
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2015-01-01
Series:Clinical Medicine Insights: Oncology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.4137/CMO.S35120
Description
Summary:Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL) is a rare and aggressive extranodal T-cell lymphoma that comprises <5% of peripheral T-cell lymphomas. The majority of cases harbor the γδT-cell receptor (TCR), but recently, a few cases have been shown to express the αß TCR. Comparison of these two subtypes (αβ and γδ) shows similar clinicopathologic and cytogenetic features; however, due to the paucity of reported cases, it is not clear whether they are prognostically distinct entities. We report a case of αβ HSTCL with a rather unusual presentation of Coombs'-negative hemolytic anemia. Diagnosis proved challenging due to an unusual blastoid morphology with the absence of typical intrasinusoidal distribution of tumor cells in the bone marrow. This unique case adds to the growing list of this rare subtype of T-cell lymphomas, which warrant urgent attention due to the lack of effective treatment options and dismal prognosis.
ISSN:1179-5549