t(3;17)(q21;q25) in Epstein-Barr virus associated peripheral T-cell lymphoma: a paediatric case.

We describe an immunocompetent 8-year-old boy with a serological profile indicating chronic infection by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) who developed subcutaneous and pulmonary lesions related to a peripheral T-cell proliferation. No clonal rearrangement of T-cell receptor or immunoglobulin genes was seen. However, the finding of a t(3;17)(q21;q25) in 44 metaphases from one skin lesion demonstrated a clonal origin. We also showed that the proliferative T cells contained EBV genome leading to the diagnosis of EBV-associated peripheral T-cell lymphoma. Further cytogenetic and molecular studies are needed to identify genes implicated in the pathogenesis of this haematological malignancy.