Anaplastic large cell lymphoma of the esophagus in a pediatric patient

• Published in: Pediatric radiology Vol. 42; no. 5; pp. 627 - 631
• Main Authors: Hryhorczuk, Anastasia L., Harris, Marian H., Vargas, Sara O., Lee, Edward Y.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.05.2012; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Case Report; Child, Preschool; Diagnosis, Differential; Esophageal Perforation - diagnosis; Esophageal Perforation - etiology; Esophagoscopy; Humans; Imaging; Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic - complications; Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic - diagnosis; Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic - drug therapy; Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic - pathology; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neoplasm Staging; Neuroradiology; Nuclear Medicine; Oncology; Pediatrics; Positron-Emission Tomography; Radiology; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Ultrasound; Non-Hodgkin lymphoma; CT; Upper gastrointestinal study; Pediatric; Esophagus
• ISSN: 0301-0449; 1432-1998
• DOI: 10.1007/s00247-011-2236-7

We report a 3-year-old boy who initially presented with abdominal pain and was subsequently found to have an esophageal perforation. The child did not respond to conservative management, and subsequent lymphadenopathy led to a lymph node biopsy demonstrating an anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Esophageal perforation and thickening is most commonly seen in children with a history of esophageal intervention or foreign body/caustic ingestion. Esophageal involvement in children with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) has not, to our knowledge, been reported in the literature. This case illustrates an unusual presentation of pediatric NHL.