Pediatric follicular lymphoma - a clinico-pathological study of a population-based series of patients treated within the Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma - Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster (NHL-BFM) multicenter trials

Abstract

The genetic hallmark of adult follicular lymphoma, t(14;18)(q32;q21), was not detectable in any of the pediatric cases, although BCL2 protein was expressed in 55% of the latter cases. No correlation was found between BCL2 protein expression and outcome. Chromosomal breaks in the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene (IGH) and the BCL6 locus were detected in 5 of 17 and 1 of 18 cases, respectively. Patients with pediatric follicular lymphoma had long event-free survival and, in contrast to adult follicular lymphoma, the clinical course was not dominated by relapses. A simultaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was frequently detected at initial diagnosis in children but did not indicate an aggressive clinical course. Conclusions Our data suggest that pediatric follicular lymphoma is a disease that differs from its adult counterpart both genetically and clinically.