Transformation of Aggressive Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), representing up to 30 percent of all lymphomas. DLBCL is a fast-growing, aggressive form of NHL, which can appear as a transformation from a less aggressive form of lymphoma or can be de novo pathology. The following article describes the case of a 55-year-old female patient who developed a DLBCL as a second malignancy after an R-CHOP-treated marginal zone splenic lymphoma. This was followed by the transformation of the DLBCL into an aggressive acute lymphoblastic leukemia, for which the patient needed aggressive treatment according to the international acute lymphoblastic leukemia protocol.