Did I Miss It? Discovering Hidden Coexisting Hematological Neoplasms: A Single Institutional Review of 100 Collision Tumors

Collision tumor between a spinal schwannoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma: case report and review of the literature

A collision tumor is one where two neoplasms of differing type occur at the same anatomical site. We present a patient suffering from non Hodgkin small cell lymphocytic lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia (SLL/CLL) and complaining intense lumbar back pain refractory to medical treatment. Lumbosacral MRI showed an intradural extramedullary lesion in the left L2-L3 foramen with extracanalar development and compression of psoas muscle. CT showed intralesional calcification. The patient underwent resection of the lesion through a paraspinal posterolateral approach (Wiltse approach). The histology was of schwannoma with intralesional calcifications and lymphocitic infiltrates compatible with B-lineage SLL/CLL. After the operation the patient suffer from left psoas muscle motor weakness (3/5 MRC). Because of hematological disease progression, she underwent 6 cycles of chemioterapy (Fludarabine, Cyclophosphamide, Rituximab). At a six-month follow-up no recurrence or residual tumor upon lumbosacral MR imaging was detectable and the left thigh flexion returned normal. To our knowledge, this is the first described case in the literature of collision tumor between a solitary spinal Schwannoma and SLL/CLL.

Invasive ductal carcinoma and small lymphocytic lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia manifesting as a collision breast tumor: A case report and literature review

Collision breast tumors, consisting of breast cancer (BC) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), are extremely rare. Here we report the case of a 64-year-old woman with a collision tumor in her left breast mass that was composed of invasive ductal carcinoma and small lymphocytic lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia. In addition, we reviewed the published comparable English-language literature. Collision breast tumor composed of BC and NHL is extremely rare. For that reason, there is a lack of consensus about the underlying mechanism, and diagnosing it without delay remains a complex clinical challenge. We found that post-menopausal, age-related estrogen levels changes and Epstein-Barr virus infection are possible pathogenic factors. However, the symptoms are almost identical, and it is difficult to distinguish a simple breast tumor from a breast collision tumor. In this study, we reviewed the clinical features of all patients with BC and NHL colliding breast tumors; this information might enable early identification and prevention of misdiagnosis.

Incidental lymphomas in surgical pathology: diagnostic clues and clinical-pathological correlations

Incidental lymphomas (ILs) are rare and challenging lesions with poorly characterized clinical-epidemiological and histological features. The present study addressed the open issues concerning these tumors, by assessing the clinical-pathological features of 28 consecutive ILs, diagnosed over a 10-year period at a tertiary center for surgical pathology. ILs were more frequently documented in elderly males (mean age at surgery 70.8 years; M/F ratio 3.3), with sharp prevalence of gastrointestinal and urinary tract involvement (22/28 [78.6%] cases). Low-grade B-cell lymphomas outnumbered all other entities, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) was the most common subtype (18/28 [64.3%] cases). Compared to other ILs, CLL/SLL occurred at older age and was the sole lymphoid neoplasm affecting the urinary tract. In conclusion, ILs are rare lesions, mostly affecting the gastrointestinal and urinary tract of elderly males. The diagnosis of IL is based on a high degree of suspicion and on careful morphological/phenotypic characterization.

Tiny but Mighty: Collision Tumor of a Superficial Adenocarcinoma Arising From a Tubulovillous Adenoma with Associated Low-Grade Follicular Lymphoma

Collision tumors are rare and there have only been a few previously described cases between an intestinal adenoma and a lymphoma. We report the first case of a 74-year-old woman who on investigation for iron deficiency had a tubulovillous adenoma with underlying follicular lymphoma. The atypical lymphoid proliferation showed immunohistochemical positivity for cluster of differentiation 20 (CD20), B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2), and B-cell lymphoma 6 (BCL6). Subsequent right hemicolectomy showed a superficially invasive adenocarcinoma.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia focus in the context of a cardiac mass in a pretreated patient: an exceptional incidental finding

BACKGROUND

B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) is a lymphoproliferative disorder consisting of clonal proliferation and accumulation of small, mature, CD5-positive B-lymphocytes in the blood, bone marrow, and lymphoid tissues. Among extranodal localizations, cardiac involvement is extremely rare: to our knowledge, there are no findings reported in the literature of concomitant B-CLL diagnosis in the context of atrial myxoma (so-called collision tumours) and the best strategy to treat these malignancies is unclear.

CASE REPORT

We report the case of a 67-year-old woman diagnosed with B-CLL and atrial myxoma. Our patient was cardiologically symptomless and the cardiac mass was an incidental finding. The cardiac tumor appeared several years after B-CLL diagnosis. Histologic examination of the cardiac mass, removed in the suspicion of an atrial myxoma, revealed a lymphoid focus of B-CLL. The patient underwent surgery and subsequent systemic therapy for B-CLL.

CONCLUSIONS

The concomitant presence of B-CLL in the context of an atrial myxoma is extremely rare. The best strategy to treat these cardiac hematologic malignancies is unclear.