We report a case of pure red cell aplasia (PRCA), which was initially suspected as a result of bone marrow involvement of diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Persistent anemia without an obvious cause was observed in a 47-yr-old man diagnosed with relapsed diffuse large B cell lymphoma. The bone marrow study showed only erythroid hypoplasia without the evidence of bone marrow involvement with lymphoma cells, thus PRCA was suggested. However, parvovirus infection was excluded as a potential cause of PRCA because of negative IgM anti-parvovirus B19 antibody and negative parvovirus PCR in the serum. Latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection of bone marrow was suggested by in situ hybridization with EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER) that showed a strong positive expression in bone marrow cells. Thus, PRCA was thought to be associated with latent EBV infection in bone marrow cells. Although the finding of unexplained anemia is a possible predictor of bone marrow involvement with lymphoma cells, PRCA as a result of a viral infection including EBV should be considered in lymphoma patients. This is the first report of the occurrence of PRCA associated with latent EBV infection in a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Adult ; Bone Marrow/pathology ; Bone Marrow Diseases/*complications/diagnosis/pathology ; Bone Marrow Neoplasms/pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections/*complications/diagnosis ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/*complications/pathology ; Male ; Red-Cell Aplasia, Pure/diagnosis/*etiology

The association of thymoma with pure red cell aplasia has been well documented, but amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia is not a recognized paraneoplastic syndrome complicating thymoma. We report a case of thymoma-complicated pure red cell aplasia and amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia in a 73-yr-old woman. Pure red cell aplasia was diagnosed seven months after the detection of thymoma. One year after the diagnosis of pure red cell aplasia and seven months after thymectomy, bone marrow aspiration and biopsy showed an absence of megakaryocytes, marked erythroid hypoplasia with normal myeloid series. A diagnosis of amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia and pure red cell aplasia was made. Oral steroid maintenance therapy resulted in recovery of platelet count. She has still transfusion-dependant anemia but platelet and neutrophil counts had been maintained in normal range for more than five months, until the last follow-up. We think that autoreactive T cells may induce a clinical autoimmune response even after eradication of thymoma, and aplastic anemia as a late complication following thymectomy was described in previous cases. This patient also has to be under a close observation because of the possibility to evolve into aplastic anemia.
Aged ; Bone Marrow/pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Imidazoles/therapeutic use ; Megakaryocytes/pathology ; Pregnadienetriols/therapeutic use ; Red-Cell Aplasia, Pure/complications/*diagnosis ; Thrombocytopenia/*diagnosis/drug therapy/*etiology ; Thymectomy/*adverse effects ; Thymoma/*complications/diagnosis/surgery ; Thymus Neoplasms/*complications/diagnosis/surgery

Adult ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Humans ; Male ; Pancreas ; pathology ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; secondary ; surgery ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; complications ; diagnosis ; physiopathology

We report a rare case of multiple myeloma with biclonal gammopathy (IgG kappa and IgA lambda type) in a 58-year-old man with prostate cancer who presented with lower back pain. Through computed tomography (CT) imaging, an osteolytic lesion at the L3 vertebra and an enhancing lesion of the prostate gland with multiple lymphadenopathies were found. In the whole body positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT), an additional osteoblastic bone lesion was found in the left ischial bone. A prostate biopsy was performed, and adenocarcinoma was confirmed. Decompression surgery of the L3 vertebra was conducted, and the pathologic result indicated that the lesion was a plasma cell neoplasm. Immunofixation electrophoresis showed the presence of biclonal gammopathy (IgG kappa and IgA lambda). Bone marrow plasma cells (CD138 positive cells) comprised 7.2% of nucleated cells and showed kappa positivity. We started radiation therapy for the L3 vertebra lesion, with a total dose of 3,940 cGy, and androgen deprivation therapy as treatment for the prostate cancer.
Adenocarcinoma/complications/*diagnosis/radiotherapy ; Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use ; Bone Marrow Cells/metabolism/pathology ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Humans ; Immunoelectrophoresis ; Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains/blood ; Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains/blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Myeloma/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy ; Neoplasm Staging ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Prostatic Neoplasms/complications/*diagnosis/radiotherapy ; Spine/pathology ; Syndecan-1/metabolism ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND: Gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is associated with Helicobacter pylori infection and H. pylori eradication is used as its first-line therapy. However, controversies exist about the prognostic value of H. pylori infection in these patients. We evaluated the prognostic impact of H. pylori infection and eradication therapy in gastric MALT lymphoma. METHODS: A total of 292 patients diagnosed with MALT lymphoma since 2000 were analysed. MALT lymphoma was diagnosed with tissue biopsy and H. pylori infection was diagnosed with hematoxylin-eosin and additional Warthin-Starry stains on tissue sections. Clinical variables such as bone marrow (BM) involvement, multiorgan involvement, tumor stage at diagnosis, and remission were obtained with retrospective review of electronic medical records. RESULTS: Non-gastric MALT lymphoma patients showed higher multiorgan involvement rates (26.6% vs. 9.6%, P<0.001) and higher proportion of stage > or =3 (27.7% vs. 16.7%, P=0.029) than gastric cases. Regarding gastric MALT lymphoma, patients with H. pylori infection at diagnosis showed significantly less BM (2.1% vs. 21.8%, P<0.001) and multiorgan involvement rates (6.3% vs. 18.2%, P=0.011) than those without infection. But there was no significant difference in remission rates between them. In contrast, those with successful H. pylori eradication therapy showed significantly higher remission rates (81.0% vs. 30.8%, P<0.001) than those with failure. CONCLUSIONS: Non-gastric MALT lymphoma patients showed worse prognosis compared to gastric cases. As for remission rates in patients with gastric MALT lymphoma, successful H. pylori eradication therapy could be a good prognostic factor even if H. pylori infection was present at diagnosis.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Bone Marrow Cells/pathology ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa/pathology ; Helicobacter Infections/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy ; *Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone/*diagnosis/etiology/pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Assessment ; Stomach Neoplasms/*diagnosis/etiology/pathology

Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA) occurs occasionally as a paraneoplastic syndrome in some solid tumors, but MAHA accompanied by signet ring cell carcinoma of an unknown origin is very rare. In this study, we present the case of an 80-yr-old man who was admitted to the hospital because of a 1-month history of lower back pain and dyspnea. He was diagnosed with MAHA on the basis of the laboratory findings that revealed anemia with schistocytes, decreased haptoglobin levels, and a negative direct Coombs' test. Bone marrow examination, which was performed because of the progression of anemia, revealed bone marrow metastases of signet ring cell carcinoma with extensive bone marrow necrosis. However, the primary origin of this signet ring cell carcinoma was not found. When the cause of progressive MAHA is unknown, the possibility of cancer-associated MAHA must be excluded by performing additional tumor workup, including the detection of tumor markers, gastric and colorectal endoscopic examinations, bone marrow examinations, and positron emission tomography-computed tomography or bone scans.
Aged, 80 and over ; Bone Marrow Neoplasms/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Haptoglobins/metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Necrosis/etiology ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic/*diagnosis/etiology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tumor Markers, Biological/analysis

Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA) occurs occasionally as a paraneoplastic syndrome in some solid tumors, but MAHA accompanied by signet ring cell carcinoma of an unknown origin is very rare. In this study, we present the case of an 80-yr-old man who was admitted to the hospital because of a 1-month history of lower back pain and dyspnea. He was diagnosed with MAHA on the basis of the laboratory findings that revealed anemia with schistocytes, decreased haptoglobin levels, and a negative direct Coombs' test. Bone marrow examination, which was performed because of the progression of anemia, revealed bone marrow metastases of signet ring cell carcinoma with extensive bone marrow necrosis. However, the primary origin of this signet ring cell carcinoma was not found. When the cause of progressive MAHA is unknown, the possibility of cancer-associated MAHA must be excluded by performing additional tumor workup, including the detection of tumor markers, gastric and colorectal endoscopic examinations, bone marrow examinations, and positron emission tomography-computed tomography or bone scans.
Aged, 80 and over ; Bone Marrow Neoplasms/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Haptoglobins/metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Necrosis/etiology ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic/*diagnosis/etiology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tumor Markers, Biological/analysis

Parvovirus B19 infection is known to cause chronic anemia in immunocompromised hosts, including organ transplant recipients. We report the first case of liver transplant recipient with parvovirus B19-induced pure red cell aplasia in Korea. A 57-yr-old female patient with hepatocellular carcinoma due to hepatitis C virus received a liver transplantation. Two months later, anemia developed and she received periodic red blood cell transfusions. However, chronic anemia persisted and bone marrow examination was performed 8 months after transplantation. Bone marrow aspiration smears showed markedly reduced erythroid precursors with atypical giant pronormoblasts and nuclear remnants with viral inclusions, and characteristic lantern cells were observed in biopsy sections. In addition, parvovirus B19 DNA PCR was positive. She was diagnosed as parvovirus B19-induced pure red cell aplasia and her anemia was improved following intravenous immunoglobulin therapy.
Blood Transfusion ; Bone Marrow/pathology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/etiology/therapy ; DNA, Viral/analysis ; Female ; Hepatitis C/complications/diagnosis ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Immunoglobulins/therapeutic use ; Liver Neoplasms/etiology/therapy ; Liver Transplantation ; Middle Aged ; Parvoviridae Infections/complications/*diagnosis ; *Parvovirus B19, Human/genetics ; Red-Cell Aplasia, Pure/*diagnosis/therapy/virology