Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia of Burkitt’s Type (L3 ALL) with 8;22 and 14; 18 Translocations and Absent Surface Immunoglobulins

A 57-year-old woman presented with L3 acute lymphoblastic leukemia demonstrating typical Burkitt's type morphology. Cytogenetic analysis revealed one of the variant translocations seen in Burkitt's lymphoma [t(8;22)] and a 14;18 translocation. Surface marker data at presentation and at autopsy demonstrated several B-cell markers, but absent surface immunoglobulins. The case presented here reveals a possible cytogenetic link between Burkitt's lymphoma and follicular center-cell lymphoma, and illustrates a variant surface marker profile for Burkitt's lymphoma.