Bilateral Auricular Nodules: A Peculiar Presentation of Systemic Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), a rare malignancy of B cells accounting for 6% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL),1 arises due to t(11;14)(q13;23) translocation of mature B lymphocytes in the mantle zone of lymph node follicles. This translocation results in the overexpression of cell cycle regulator cyclin D1 and a heterogeneous but often aggressive NHL subtype. MCL is characterized by CD5+, CD20+, CD79a+, and cyclin D1+ tumor cells.2