Cyclin D1 as an aid in the diagnosis of mantle cell lymphoma in skin biopsies - A case report

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), an uncommon and aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, typically involves lymph nodes. It usually only secondarily invol ves extranodal sites. We describe an unusual case of a MCL that presented a nd relapsed in the earlobes. Light microscopic findings were initially rega rded as suggestive of small lymphocytic lymphoma, al though subsequent anal ysis of fresh tissue by flow cytometry led to the diagnosis of MCL. Retrosp ective application of a broad panel of recently developed markers suitable for analysis of routinely processed tissue yielded results that also permit ted a diagnosis of MCL. If these results had been available at the time of initial presentation, they would have obviated the need for rebiopsy. Great er awareness not only of the phenotypic criteria by which lymphomas are cla ssified but of the lymphoma markers available for evaluation of routinely p rocessed tissue should facilitate the accurate diagnosis of diseases like M CL and minimize the risk of misdiagnosis as an indolent disorder.