Synchronous Occurrence of T-cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma and High-Grade Glioma in a Pediatric Patient: A Case Report

TL;DR

A seven-year-old boy was diagnosed with two rare cancers at the same time: T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma and a high-grade brain tumor, which is extremely uncommon in children without prior radiation.

Contribution

This case highlights the rare co-occurrence of T-LBL and CNS HGG without prior cranial irradiation.

Findings

The patient had both T-LBL and a high-grade glioma diagnosed simultaneously.

The patient's condition progressed despite treatment and he succumbed to the illness.

This case is rare as it occurred without prior cranial irradiation, which is a known risk factor for secondary CNS tumors.

Abstract

T-lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) is a malignant transformation of lymphoid progenitor cells of T-cell origin. Gliomas are tumors arising from glial cells in the brain and spinal cord. The synchronous occurrence of these malignancies is rare. This case report presents a rare and challenging clinical scenario involving a seven-year-old male child diagnosed with T-LBL and a synchronous central nervous system (CNS) high-grade glioma (HGG). He received multiagent chemotherapy for T-LBL, underwent surgery, along with adjuvant radiation therapy for HGG. However, due to the progression of the intracranial disease, he succumbed to this illness. Secondary malignancies, especially CNS tumors, are well recognized in survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia who have undergone prior prophylactic cranial irradiation. The case highlights the rarity of co-occurrence of T-LBL and CNS HGG in a patient without prior cranial irradiation.

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