Primary Mediastinal (Thymic) Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Primary mediastinal (thymic) large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) is one of the primary extranodal tumors and originates from thymic medulla B cells. The disease is more common in young women and declares itself by mainly locally advanced growth within the anterior upper mediastinum with frequent involvement of chest organs. PMBCL has specific morphological, immunological, and genetic characteristics that permit to differentiate it from other similar diseases: diffuse large В-cell lymphoma, nodular sclerosis Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and mediastinal gray zone lymphoma. Immunochemotherapy with subsequent irradiation of the residual mediastinal tumor is the standard treatment of PMBCL. No benefits of one drug therapy over another have been demonstrated to date in controlled studies. Application of new imaging techniques (PET/CT) may result in withdrawal of the radiotherapy in some PMBCL patients without impairment of delayed survival rates.