Abstract

Mediastinal B-cell lymphomas are relatively frequent in young patients and include nodular sclerosis classic Hodgkin lymphoma (NSCHL), primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBL), and rarely, mediastinal gray zone lymphoma (MGZL). Occasional NSCHLs contain abundant Hodgkin/Reed Sternberg (HRS) cells that exhibit a syncytial growth pattern, which may create diagnostic challenges. Previous studies have demonstrated that PMBL can be distinguished from subtypes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) based on gene expression signatures using the Lymph3Cx gene expression profiling assay, which has been validated as a clinical test in our molecular diagnostics laboratory. Here, we demonstrate that syncytial variant NSCHL exhibits a PMBL-like gene expression profile using the Lymph3Cx gene expression profiling assay. It is critical for pathologists and oncologists to be aware of this potential diagnostic pitfall to avoid possible misdiagnosis.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Funding Statement

This study did not receive any funding

Author Declarations

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

Yes

The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

This study was performed with Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board approval under protocol #16-000507.

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Data Availability

All data produced in the present work are contained in the manuscript

List of abbreviationsWHOWorld Health OrganizationICCInternational Consensus ClassificationSVNSCHLSyncytial variant nodular sclerosis classic Hodgkin lymphomaPMBLPrimary mediastinal large B-cell lymphomaDLBCLDiffuse large B-cell lymphomaMGZLMediastinal gray zone lymphomaGEPGene expression profile