Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the ascending colon in a patient with becker muscular dystrophy: Report of a case

We herein present the findings of a 10-year-old boy with non-Hodgkin's lymp homa of the ascending colon which caused intussusception and intestinal ble eding. He had a history of Becker muscular dystrophy. However, he had neith er hypertrophic calves nor cardiomyopathy, and his serum creatine kinase (C K) level always exceeded 2000 IU/l. Preoperatively, a laboratory examinatio n revealed high serum levels of CK (2038 IU/l), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and the blood hemoglobin level was 7.0 g/dl. A barium enema examination reveal ed an intussusception in his ascending colon, which was found to be a highl y vascular tumor on Doppler ultrasound scans. A right hemicolectomy was per formed. Macroscopically, the 5 x 6 x 8-cm solid tumor of the ascending colo n resembled a submucosal tumor and had two ulcerous lesions at the tip. The tumor was histologically diagnosed to be a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma o f the ascending colon. General examinations revealed no involvement of lymp homa postoperatively. At 13 months after surgery, the CK (3786 IU/l), AST ( 110 IU/l), ALT (138 IU/l), and LDH (420 IU/l) levels are still high, and th e patient is doing well without any signs of recurrence.