Blastoid Variant Mantle Cell Lymphoma with Complex Karyotype Including 11q Duplication

We describe a case of blastoid mantle cell lymphoma with a complex karyotype. The blastoid variant is a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma exhibiting an aggressive clinical course. Mantle cell lymphoma is a distinct entity of mature B-cell neoplasms genetically characterized by the presence of t(11;14). In the present case, conventional analysis revealed structural abnormalities of chromosomes 2, 4, 6, 10, 13, and 19, along with 3 additional marker chromosomes. The derivative 1 chromosome determined in the case was a result of t(1p;11q). Our interesting finding was the presence of a different translocation between 11q and chromosome 1 in addition to t(11;14). Thus, the resulting 11q duplication was believed to additionally increase the enhanced expression of cyclin D1 gene, which is responsible in the pathogenesis of the disease. Fluorescence in situ hybridization method by the t(11;14) probe revealed clonal numerical abnormalities of chromosomes 11 and 14 in some cells. The detection of multiple abnormalities explains the bad prognosis in the present case. On the basis of our findings, we can easily conclude that results of cytogenetic analyses of similar mantle cell lymphoma patients would provide clues about new responsible gene regions and disease prognosis. In conclusion, it has been suggested that the presence of multiple chromosomal aberrations in addition to the specific t(11;14) may have a negative impact on clinical course and survival rate.