Simultaneous presence of t(11;14) and a variant Burkitt's translocation in the terminal phase of a mantle cell lymphoma

Little is known about the clinical significance of secondary chromosome aberrations in lymphomas with t(11;14)(q13;q32), the characteristic change of mantle cell lymphomas. Here we present a patient with mantle cell lymphoma, who showed a variant Burkitt's translocation t(2;8)(p12;q24) in addition to t(11;14) during the progression of the disease. An involvement of chromosome 8q24, the localization of the c-myc gene, has so far been described in only four patients, who seemed to have a fatal clinical course. Although no blastic transformation occurred in our patient, no remission could be induced by intensified treatment and survival was only 5 months. This case demonstrates that secondary chromosome aberrations can determine the clinical course of patients, even if morphologic and immunophenotypic findings fail to predict the poor outcome.