Background
Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) includes a
heterogeneous spectrum of disorders, ranging from non-malignant
lymphoproliferations to lymphomas.1-5 The clinical
presentation of PTLD is variable, usually but not always depending on
the location and histopathology.4,6 The vast majority
of pediatric PTLD are Epstein Barr virus (EBV)-positive, CD20 positive
B-cell lymphoproliferations.6 However, rare subtypes
of PTLD have created diagnostic and treatment
challenges.4
A few cases of plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL),a rare lymphoma associated
with immunodeficiency, have been reported in adult solid organ
transplant (SOT) recipients.7-13 PBL after SOT
(PT-PBL) in children accounts for a minor fraction of pediatric PTLD;
and limited pathological and molecular data have been
reported.4,11,12,14 Moreover, it can be difficult to
diagnostically differentiate PBL from plasma cell myeloma with
plasmablastic morphology,14,15 while the treatments of
these two diseases could be different. Here we report two pediatric
cases of PBL post SOT and summarize their clinical, genetic and
pathological features.