Novogrudsky A, Amorosi E L, Gottesman S R
Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
Am J Hematol. 2001 Mar;66(3):203-6. doi: 10.1002/1096-8652(200103)66:3<203::aid-ajh1045>3.0.co;2-x.
Approximately 3% of patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) develop a high-grade large-cell lymphoma consistent with Richter's Syndrome. In most cases, these lymphomas are of B-cell origin and are believed to arise by clonal evolution from the CLL cells. We present a case of a patient with a 10-year history of B-CLL who developed an aggressive large-cell lymphoma, confirmed by immunophenotype to be of T-cell origin. We suggest that in patients with CLL, immunodysregulation can result in the proliferation of T cells, which may mutate and result in the development of a new malignant clone.
