TRANSFORMATION OF FOLLICULAR LYMPHOMA TO HODGKIN-LIKE LYMPHOMA: A CASE REPORT OF A DIAGNOSTIC PITFALL

The transformation of follicular lymphoma to Hodgkin-like lymphoma is rarely reported to date. The diagnosis is based on histological and immunohistochemical features that show the presence of both centrocytes and centroblasts cells which isconsistent with follicular lymphoma, and also large neoplastic cells with classic Reed-Sternberg (RS) and Hodgkin cell-like (typically seen in Hodgkin lymphoma). The Immunohistochemical results confirm the diagnosis by the positivity of CD20, CD10, BCL2 in the centrocytes, and the positivity of CD30 and LMP1 in the Hodgkin-like cells. This report presents a case of follicular lymphoma with numerous CD30+ Hodgkin-like cells and compares morphologic and immunophenotypic results of the Centrocytes and centroblasts component and single Hodgkin-Reed Sternberg-like cells. This case also highlights the diagnostic pitfall of Hodgkin-Reed Sternberg-like cells in follicular lymphoma vs classic Hodgkin lymphoma.We expect that this case report adds to the existing literature on this subject.