Cutaneous annular lesions as the first sign of transformation of follicular lymphoma into diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma with diverse clinical, pathological and genetic features. An 80-year-old woman was diagnosed with a stage IV-X-A (Ann Arbor staging system) low grade systemic follicular lymphoma (FL). Four months after the diagnosis, she developed asymptomatic, indurated, annular erythematous plaques with centrifugal growth on the abdomen, arms and neck. The skin biopsy revealed a dermal infiltration compatible with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Light chain restriction by flow cytometry was demonstrated. The variable, diverse and joining genes of immunoglobulin G heavy chains were sequenced and cloned, and showed the same pattern for both the initial follicular lymphoma and the skin infiltration. Translocation t (14;18) was present in both samples. Based on these findings, a diagnosis of transformation of follicular lymphoma into diffuse large B cell lymphoma was made. Although other hematological disorders such as primary cutaneous diffuse large B cell lymphoma, mycosis fungoides and the cutaneous infiltration of chronic juvenile myeloid leukemia can present as annular lesions, we were unable to find any previous reports of these as a manifestation of cutaneous infiltration by systemic non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Relapse of leprosy presenting as nodular lymph node swelling.

Lymphadenopathy is known to be associated with lepromatous leprosy and has also been observed as a feature of type-2 lepra reaction. However, nodular lymph node enlargement is not commonly reported in leprosy patients or as a feature of relapse. We herewith are presenting a case of bacteriological relapse in a patient of lepromatous leprosy treated 22 years before till smear negativity with WHO multidrug therapy (MDT) multibacillary type (MB). She presented with prominent nodular swelling of the cervical group of lymph nodes along with generalized lymphadenopathy, which was mistakenly treated as tubercular lymphadenopathy. A diagnosis of late bacteriological relapse of lepromatous leprosy presenting with prominent lymphadenopathy and ENL was made after relevant investigations. The patient was started on treatment with WHO MDT MB (daily dapsone and clofazimine and monthly rifampicin) and thalidomide (200 mg/day). Nerve pain regressed within 2 weeks of therapy. The lymph nodal swelling regressed within 3 months of starting treatment.