ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma with prominent bone involvement in a 13-year-old boy.

Background: Anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive (ALK+) anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which has strong expression of cluster of differentiation (CD)-30 and ALK. ALCL sometimes can involve the bone marrow, and in advanced stages, it can produce destructive bone lesions. But ALK+ ALCL with prominent bone involvement is very rare, especially in children.

Methods: A 13-year-old boy presented with waist pain and low-grade fever for 8 months. The biopsy of soft tissue lesions around the thoracic spine showed that these cells were positive for ALK-1, CD30, leukocyte common antigen, CD3, CD4, and CD8, as well as being negative for epithelial membrane antigen and pan-cytokeratin, which revealed ALCL. After six cycles of a regimen consisting of hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone/methotrexate and cytarabine (hyper-CVAD/MA) and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, he achieved complete remission (CR).

Conclusions: It is generally believed that the regimen consisting of cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunorubicin (doxorubicin), vincristine, and prednisolone (CHOP) is also applicable to ALCL. Because of the tendency of rapid progression and the frequency of B symptoms, ALCL in children and young adults is treated with high-grade chemotherapy such as hyper-CVAD/MA.