ALK positive histiocytosis in an adult female with an EML4-ALK RNA fusion

... The authors described a unique KIF5B-ALK gene fusion in 5 of the 8 evaluated cases, including the solitary case in an adult. The other gene fusion partners of ALK were TPM3 and COL1A2.
We describe a 66 year old female who presented with dyspnea. A CT scan of the chest revealed an anterior mediastinal mass measuring 48 mm in maximum dimension. The mass was seen in the right paraaortic region with evidence of pleural thickening and a mild right pleural effusion... Conclusion: We believe that ALK positive histiocytosis which is more common in infants and pediatric patients, should also be kept in mind in adult patients. This novel entity is commonly associated with the KIF5B-ALK fusion, however, it may also be associated with the lung tumor EML4-ALK fusion as detected in our case. READ ARTICLE

Human Pathology: Case Reports DOI:10.1016/j.ehpc.2020.200404

Authors: Jay Mehta, Anita Borges