Anaplastic large cell lymphoma with cardiac metastasis. A case report

We present a case of an anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) in a 61 years old patient with multiple metastases including cardiac metastasis (left posterior ventricular wall). Anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALCL is a rare condition in adult and cardiac metastasis are extremely rare. Most probably the metastatic spread was a hematogenous invasion via the coronary arteries. Initially a pulmonary small cell carcinoma was diagnosed and the patient underwent a lung partial resection. However, H&E histopathology demonstrated a specific pattern for the tumoral cells "hallmark" cells); further immune histochemistry (RTU Peroxidase Detection System for Novocastra RTU Primary Antibodies, RE7100-CE), proved to be positive for CD 30, identifying an anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALCL. Other markers were searched on using IHC techniques in order to confirm the affiliation to the lymphoma family (CD30, CD 3, CD 20 positive) and to exclude the affiliation to the pulmonary carcinoma and neuroendocrine tumors (Pan CK AE1-AE3, TTF1, CK 7, CD56 negative) or pluripotential hemopoietic stem cells or vascular-associated tissue including monocytes/macrophages (CD 34, CD 68 negative).