We report four cases of blastic transformation of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL
), cytogenetically characterized by 8q24 karyotypic abnormalities in additi
on to (11;14), suggestive of c-myc deregulation. Three patients developed b
lastic disease in lymph nodes, peripheral blood and bone marrow, after one
to seven years, and died after 1 to 3 months. One patient presented with bl
astic MCL and died after 15 months. We propose that c-myc activation may be
another cell cycle deregulation event leading to aggressive transformation
in MCL.