Deep Sequencing of Immunoglobulin Genes Identifies a Very Low Percentage of Monoclonal B Cells in Primary Cutaneous Marginal Zone Lymphomas with CD30-Positive Hodgkin/Reed–Sternberg-like Cells

Abstract

The spectrum of cutaneous CD30-positive lymphoproliferative disorders encompasses both inflammatory and neoplastic conditions. CD30+ Hodgkin and Reed–Sternberg-like cells have been occasionally reported in primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma, where they are thought to represent a side neoplastic component within a dominant background of lymphomatous small B cells. Herein, we describe the histological and molecular findings of three cases of primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphomas with CD30+ H/RS cells, in which next-generation sequencing analysis revealed the clonal population to consist in less than 5% of the cutaneous B-cell infiltrate, providing a thought-provoking focus on a possible main role for CD30+ cells in primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphoproliferations.