Uncommon cases of immature-type CD56+ natural killer (NK)-cell neoplasms, characterized by expression of myeloid antigen of blastic NK-cell lymphoma

Abstract

Immature-type CD56(+) natural killer (NK)-cell neoplasms are classified as either myeloid/NK-cell precursor acute leukemia or blastic NK-cell lymphoma. We identified two cases of immature-type CD56(+) NK-cell neoplasms that were not categorizable as either of these entities. The first case involved a 74-year-old woman presenting with skin eruptions and pancytopenia due to bone marrow necrosis. Skin biopsy specimen revealed CD4(+), CD7(-), CD34(-), CD43(+), CD56(+), CD68(+), muramidase (lysozyme)(+), and myeloperoxidase (MPO)(-), and immunophenotyping of peripheral blood showed CD4(+), CD7(-), CD13(+), CD33(+), CD34(-), CD43(+), CD56(+), cytoplasmic (cy)CD68(+), CD123(+), and HLA-DR(+). The second case involved a 62-year-old man who had bilateral optic nerve tumor and presented with malignant cells in peripheral blood. Cell surface markers of malignant cells showed CD4(+), CD7(-), CD13(+), CD33(+), CD34(-), CD43(+), CD56(+), cyCD68(+), and HLA-DR(+). The phenotypes of tumor cells in both cases were compatible with blastic NK-cell lymphoma, except for the expression of myeloid antigen. Clinical presentations of these cases showed characteristics of both blastic NK-cell lymphoma and myeloid/NK-cell precursor acute leukemia.