Description
Patients with conventional mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) show an aggressive clinical behavior. However, cases fulfilling the WHO criteria for MCL, but that remain asymptomatic without treatment, have been reported. In an attempt to understand this heterogeneity, we have compared 17 typical cases of MCL with a homogeneous group of 13 asymptomatic individuals with monoclonal expansion of t(11;14)(q13;q32) cyclin D1-positive B-cells in peripheral blood (MALD1). None of these cases have received treatment (minimum follow-up of 26 months; median, 71 months).