A Rapidly Developing Nodule in a Patient With Hairy Cell Leukemia in Remission: Merkel Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report.

Background/aim: Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a well-known lymphoproliferative disease with very effective treatment approaches primarily relying on purine analogues. However, these treatments are associated with profound and prolonged immunosuppression. Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and extremely aggressive skin tumor with an increased incidence in immunocompromised patients.

Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma: Analysis of Two Cohorts Including Patients in Clinical Trials of the German Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Study Group (GCLLSG) or in "Real-Life" Outside of Clinical Trials.

Background: Only few studies have focused exclusively on patients with small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL).

Patients And Methods: In the present report, 103 SLL patients were analyzed from both, clinical trials of the German Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Study Group and Greek centers, and emphasis was placed on the therapeutic strategy. The impact of lymph node characteristics, such as the presence of proliferation centers (PCs) on response and survival was also assessed.

The Significance of PET/CT in the Initial Staging of Hodgkin Lymphoma: Experience Outside Clinical Trials.

Aim: To examine the real-life impact of baseline positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL).

Patients And Methods: A total of 162 consecutive patients with HL were retrospectively studied.

Results: Disease was up-staged in 26 patients (16%) and down-staged in 9 (6%).

Hodgkin Lymphoma Transformation of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Under Ibrutinib Therapy: Chance Association or Therapy-related?

The established treatment algorithms for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) are currently challenged by novel classes of drugs, with ibrutinib being one of the most effective. Published data suggest that patients with early progression under ibrutinib often emerge as having Richter's transformation (RT) with a rapidly fatal prognosis, mostly developing diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). In this respect, it is known that RT to large DLBCL occurs in about 5% of patients with CLL during the disease course and less frequently to Hodgkin lymphoma (HL).

Detection of L265P MYD-88 mutation in a series of clonal B-cell lymphocytosis of marginal zone origin (CBL-MZ).

Clonal B-cell lymphocytosis of marginal zone origin (CBL-MZ) is a recently described entity characterized by the presence of clonal B cells in the blood and/or bone marrow (BM) with morphologic and immunophenotypic features consistent with marginal zone derivation in otherwise healthy individuals. CBL-MZ is commonly associated with paraproteinemia, usually immunoglobulin M (IgM), raising diagnostic difficulties from Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM). The aim of the present study was to determine the presence of MYD-88 L265P mutation in a well-characterized series of CBL-MZ to identify cases that may in fact represent WM.

Malakoplakia of the Urinary Bladder in a Patient with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Under Ibrutinib Therapy: A Case Report.

Malakoplakia, a rare granulomatous disease of infectious etiology, is commonly observed in immunocompromised patients. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by profound immune dysregulation resulting in significant infection-related morbidity and mortality, and several drugs used in CLL treatment have a severe immunosuppressive effect. Ibrutinib, has become a new standard-of-care in patients with CLL, especially for those harboring unfavorable genetic characteristics such as 17 p deletion, with however, unknown long-term immunological consequences.

High Frequency of Thyroid Disorders in Patients Presenting With Neutropenia to an Outpatient Hematology Clinic STROBE-Compliant Article.

Granulopoiesis abnormalities have been described in association with thyroid disorders (TD). However, data regarding systematic evaluation of adult neutropenia and concurrent or prior TD are scarce. To investigate the frequency of TD among patients presenting with neutropenia, and the immunophenotypic and immunologic profile of neutropenic patients with concomitant thyroidopathy.

Exuberant cortical thymocyte proliferation mimicking T-lymphoblastic lymphoma within recurrent large inguinal lymph node masses of localized Castleman disease.

We report a 13-year-old adolescent girl, the youngest thus far, with "an indolent T-lymphoblastic" proliferation (~10%) that uniquely presented within recurrent, large inguinal lymph node masses in a predominating (90%) background of Castleman disease. These nodal masses were resected thrice; the patient is well 5 years after diagnosis without further treatment. Histologically, the features of Castleman disease, hyaline vascular type, were present.

New insights into monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis.

Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) is a premalignant condition characterized by the presence of less than 5000/μL circulating clonal B cells in otherwise healthy individuals. Three subcategories have been identified according to the immunophenotypic features: CLL-like, CD5(+) atypical, and CD5(-) MBL. CLL-like MBL is by far the most frequent and best studied category and further divided in low-count [LC] and high-count [HC] MBL, based on a cutoff value of 500/μL clonal B cells.

Clinical aspects of malt lymphomas.

Extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) is an indolent lymphoma arising in extranodal sites. Several infectious agents and autoimmune disorders have been implicated in its pathogenesis. The stomach represents the most common and best-studied organ involved by MALT lymphoma and its development is strongly associated with Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection.

Immunohistochemical analysis of IL-6, IL-8/CXCR2 axis, Tyr p-STAT-3, and SOCS-3 in lymph nodes from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: correlation between microvascular characteristics and prognostic significance.

A number of studies have looked into the pathophysiological role of angiogenesis in CLL, but the results have often been inconsistent. We aimed to gain direct insight into the angiogenic process in lymph nodes involved by CLL, focusing on proangiogenic cytokines and microvessel morphometry. The tissue levels of VEGF, Th-2 cytokines IL-6 and IL-8, IL-8 receptor CXCR2, and tyrosine p-STAT-3/SOCS-3 axis modulating cytokine expression were evaluated immunohistochemically in 62 CLL/SLL cases.

Apoptotic and proliferative characteristics of proliferation centers in lymph node sections of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

We have analyzed the immunohistochemical expression of a wide range of molecules along with the proliferation rate separately in the proliferation centers (PCs) and in the rest of the tumor area, in lymph node or spleen sections of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Fas, FasL and c-FLIP were observed both within and outside the PCs in all cases. However, only the difference in FasL expression between the PCs and the non-PC areas attained statistical significance.

Treatment of splenic marginal zone lymphoma with rituximab monotherapy: progress report and comparison with splenectomy.

Background: Treatment of splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL) patients is not standardized. Recent data suggest that rituximab is highly effective and could be considered as initial therapy.

Aim: To assess the efficacy of rituximab monotherapy in a large series of patients with SMZL and compare these results with splenectomy results.

Combination of rituximab with chlorambucil as first line treatment in patients with mantle cell lymphoma: a highly effective regimen.

The optimal treatment approach for patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is not well defined. Intensive therapeutic regimens result in high response rates and prolonged progression-free survival but at the expense of significant toxicity. We report here our results of the administration of rituximab plus chlorambucil (R-Chl) as first line treatment in patients with MCL.

Kikuchi's lymphadenopathy: a relatively rare but important cause of lymphadenopathy in Greece, potentially associated with the antiphospholipid syndrome.

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease is a form of reactive lymphadenopathy, which was firstly described in Japan, but is uncommon in the Western world. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of nine cases of adult or adolescent Kikuchi's disease diagnosed in a single Haematology Unit in Athens, Greece between 1990 and 2006. The median age of the patients was 25 years (14-40) and 8/9 were females.

Mutation analysis of IgVH genes in splenic marginal zone lymphomas: correlation with clinical characteristics and outcome.

Background: To determine the immunoglobulin variable heavy chain (IgVH) gene usage and somatic mutation patterns in a series of SMZL patients and to correlate these findings with the clinical features and outcome.

Patients And Methods: IgVH genes were amplified and sequenced from 22 SMZL cases. Clinical and laboratory data of these patients were recorded.

Early-stage gastric MALT lymphoma: is it a truly localized disease?

Early-stage gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (GML) is considered a localized disease with an indolent course. Circulating malignant cells have been detected in other early-stage indolent lymphomas by molecular methods. We investigated the incidence of occult blood disease in early-stage GML patients, its impact on clinical outcome, and the similarity between blood and gastric lymphocytic clones.

Non-gastric extra-nodal marginal zone lymphomas--a single centre experience on 76 patients.

In the present study, we assessed the clinical and pathological data of 76 patients with the diagnosis of non-gastric extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma. The most commonly affected sites were salivary glands, skin, ocular adnexa, lung, intestine and Waldeyer's ring. Ann Arbor stage I disease was present in 39 patients (51%), stage II in 10 (13%) and stage IV in 27 (36%).

Primary adult-onset macrophage activation syndrome with multisystemic tissue phagocytosis.

The histiocyte disorders are divided into the following 3 categories according to the specific lineage of the histiocytes involved and their biological behavior: the dendritic cell-related disorders, which include Langerhans cell histiocytosis and dermal dendrocyte disorders; the macrophage cell disorders, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis being the main entity; and the malignant histiocyte disorders. We present a case of a 36-year-old woman who was referred to our hospital because of fever of unknown origin, lethargy, anemia, and impaired hepatic function. Following a thorough investigation, we diagnosed extensive histiocyte-mediated phagocytosis in many areas (skin, liver, bone marrow), without any identifiable cause.