Co-existent de novo Myelodysplastic Syndrome and T-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: a Common Origin or Not?

The co-existence of de novo myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) prior to therapy is an extremely unusual finding. We report here a case of co-existent de novo MDS-refractory cytopenia with multilineage dysplasia and T-cell NHL, including clinical features, histopathological findings, molecular assessment, treatment course and outcomes. Other cases from the literature showing co-existence of both disorders are also reviewed; to date 19 similar cases have been reported. Among all cases (including the present patient), eight cases were diagnosed with de novo MDS and NHL simultaneously, which were considered to be true coincidences. The mechanisms responsible for the appearance of co-existence have not yet been ascertained, however in the present case a common chromosomal abnormality (20q deletion) was found in bone marrow and lymph node preparations. We conclude, therefore, that the co-existent de novo MDS and T-cell NHL seen in the present case may have a common origin.