CD8-POSITIVE MANTLE CELL LYMPHOMA - A REPORT OF 2 CASES

Two cases of mantle cell lymphoma with a unique CD8(+) phenotype are r eported. Both patients had disease that was resistant to therapy; one patient had the blastic variant of mantle cell lymphoma. Flow cytometr ic analysis of bone marrow and cerebrospinal fluid samples revealed a phenotype consistent with mantle cell lymphoma, with the additional fi nding of CD8 positivity in 40% or more of the tumor cells in both case s. This is the first description of such a finding, and CD8(+) mantle cell lymphoma may represent a unique type of B-cell neoplasia. Our fin dings may he important in the prediction of therapeutic response or in the detection of residual disease after therapy.