Pre-B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in childhood. Report of a case and review of the literature.

The authors studied a six-year-old girl with a cervical lymphoblastic lymphoma. Initial blood study results were within normal ranges, and no evidence of leukemia was found. Immunophenotype analysis of this lymphoma was consistent with a pre-B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Other notable histopathologic findings were the fascicular growth pattern of the tumor and the very convoluted nuclei of the lymphoblasts. At present, only few cases of this rare immunophenotype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma have been reported in children. A panel of monoclonal antibodies is suggested to be applied on frozen tissue sections in order to establish a precise diagnosis in childhood non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, which should ultimately have therapeutic and prognostic impact.