Lymphoblastic lymphoma in two young siblings – Case study

Avani Dave, Jai Hind College

Background 

There are important modifications in how homogeneous neoplasms should be assessed and identified, which have considerable therapeutic implications and extensive biological interest. The fourth most prevalent cancer in children is non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The occurrence of NHL in the members within the family is known as familial NHL, which has not been considered an inherited condition so far. 

The distribution of histologic subtypes in pediatric NHL differs significantly from the pattern observed in adults with clinical features that include entirely diffused high-grade lymphomas and frequent extranodal involvement. Children with non-Hodgkin lymphoma didn’t have a good prognosis until recent studies focusing on identifying and analyzing the underlying principles. That being said, over the last two decades, the prognosis for children with non-Hodgkin lymphoma has improved. 

A study conducted by Hassan, N.T., et al. presents a unique case of juvenile lymphoblastic lymphoma in two sisters. It highlights the importance of precursor genetics in lymphoblastic lymphomas and demonstrate a clear correlation between genetics and age at symptom onset. It’s critical that research into the genetics of juvenile lymphoblastic lymphoma continues, not just to determine its heredity, but also to see how it can affect treatment and prognosis. Because of its rarity and addition to the literature, the researchers deemed it extremely essential to mention these cases.

Case presentation:

The study presents two Caucasian female siblings with mediastinal lymphoblastic lymphoma who were diagnosed in the same year. The two young females arrived at the emergency room with respiratory problems. They were diagnosed with lymphoblastic lymphoma after radiological investigations and biopsies. The elder sister died before the diagnosis could be confirmed, and the younger sister is currently undergoing chemotherapy with positive results.

Discussion: 

Approximately 2% of (NHL) cases are thought to be familial. Multiple factors, including histological type, age at diagnosis, sex, and familial tie, influence the chance of lymphoma developing in the same family members. Male relatives are reported to be more influenced than female relatives. NHL has been observed in siblings for a long time; the lifetime cumulative risk of NHL in siblings of a patient with NHL was reported to be 1.6%. When NHL was diagnosed in a sister, the lifetime risk was higher than when it was diagnosed in a brother.

Lymphocytic, mantle cell, and cutaneous T-cell lymphomas all have a very high family risk of histological subgroups. The current sighting is the first case of lymphoblastic lymphoma in a pair of siblings in the paediatrics community. According to certain research, the diagnosis interval for NHL/NHL sibling pairings is 1–4 years. The time between the onset of symptoms in the two sisters in the current situation was extremely brief (less than 1 year). Aside from the tumour site, the symptoms and immunological staining in the two individuals were identical.

Conclusion: 

The frequency of the disease in the same family raises several questions concerning potentially contagious elements among family members. More research is needed to determine the exact process by which genetics cause lymphoma formation in siblings, as well as how this will affect the disease’s diagnosis and therapy, and genetic counseling for affected families.

Also read: Data Analysis – An Important Tool in the Pandemic

Reference:  Hassan, N.T., Makhoul, E., Sallameh, J. et al. Lymphoblastic lymphoma in two young siblings (coincidence or genetics?): two case reports. J Med Case Reports 15, 375 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13256-021-02977-1

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Author’s Info:

Avani Dave is currently in the final year of her bachelor’s degree, majoring in Life Sciences. Holding a good academic and extra-curricular record, she is on a constant journey of acquiring exposure in her field of interest while simultaneously not limiting herself to just that. Avani likes studying Diseases and Syndromes and everything under this umbrella! That being said, she is adept at working across departments and promises to deliver.

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/avani-dave/

Publications in BioXone:

• Dave, A. (2021). Did the “Good cholesterol” get even better? BioXone. https://bioxone.in/news/worldnews/did-the-good-cholesterol-get-even-better/
• Dave, A. (2021). Unveiling the features of within-host dynamics in malaria. BioXone. https://bioxone.in/news/worldnews/unveiling-the-features-of-within-host-dynamics-in-malaria/
• Dave, A. (2021). A dash of sugar kelp for better health. BioXone. https://bioxone.in/news/worldnews/a-dash-of-sugar-kelp-for-better-health/