Descriptive Case Series of Childhood Lymphomas Treated at the Children's Hospital of Mexico.

Background

Pediatric lymphomas comprise a heterogeneous group of malignancies with substantial variation in their clinical presentation. In Mexico, detailed case-based characterization remains limited. This study summarizes the demographic and clinical characteristics of pediatric lymphomas diagnosed at a national referral center over an 11-year period.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of lymphoma cases in children aged 0-17 years diagnosed at the Children's Hospital of Mexico between 2004 and 2014. Cases were classified according to the ICCC-3 system and further described by histopathological subtype, age group, sex, and clinical outcomes.

Results

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) was the most frequent diagnosis, followed by non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Among HL cases, nodular sclerosis and mixed cellularity predominated, particularly in school-age children and adolescents. Within NHL, precursor T-cell lymphoma represented the largest subgroup, whereas mature B-cell lymphomas, such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, were less common than typically reported in high-income settings. Burkitt lymphoma occurred mainly among younger children. HL showed high survival, while some NHL subtypes exhibited poorer outcomes.

Conclusions

This large hospital-based case series provides characterization of pediatric lymphomas in a major Mexican referral center. While HL subtype patterns resembled global trends, the predominance of precursor T-cell lymphomas within NHL contrasts with observations from high-income regions. These findings highlight the value of institutional case registries and the need for more comprehensive outcome reporting in future studies.