Hughes J H, Caraway N P, Katz R L
Department of Anatomic Pathology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA.
Diagn Cytopathol. 1998 Jul 1;19(1):59-62. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0339(199807)19:1<59::aid-dc12>3.0.co;2-7.
Mantel-cell lymphoma (MCL) is a rare type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that has a moderately aggressive clinical course, generally between that a low-grade and intermediate-grade lymphomas. However, a small subset of MCLs, the so-called "blastic" variant, exhibits a poor prognosis and an aggressive clinical course. We describe a case of blastic MCL that occurred in a 64-yr-old man and that was diagnosed and accurately subclassified as blastic MCL on the basis of an fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy. The aspirate smears showed a monotonous population of intermediate-sized lymphocytes with irregular nuclear contours, finely dispersed nuclear chromatin, and inconspicuous nucleoli. Material was obtained by FNA for ancillary studies (immunocytochemical stains, flow cytometry, cytogenetics, image analysis, and molecular studies) that supported the diagnosis of blastic MCL. Surgical biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. These findings underscore the utility of FNA in diagnosing lymphomas, particularly when the cytomorphologic examination is combined with appropriate ancillary studies.
