We report the case of a 36-year-old woman who presented with headache, fever, and amenorrhea. Laboratory analysis revealed hypopituitarism and autoimmune thyroiditis, while a cerebrospinal fluid study suggested concurrent aseptic meningitis. A magnetic resonance image (MRI) scan revealed a 1.0x0.9 cm cystic mass enlarging the sella turcica. Surgical resection via an endoscopic transsphenoidal route was performed. The histological finding of the excised tissue revealed foamy histiocytes with vacuolated cytoplasm, supporting the diagnosis of xanthomatous hypophysitis. Although a residual soft lesion was observed on the MRI image postoperatively, the patient's headache and fever improved. Ten months after surgery, the patient complained of visual impairment and headache, and the residual mass had enlarged into the suprasellar area. High dose (500 mg intravenous) methylprednisolone was administered for 3 days. During the methylprednisolone pulse therapy, the patient's visual acuity and headache improved. A follow-up MRI taken after methylprednisolone therapy showed a marked mass reduction. Our case supports an autoimmune pathophysiology for xanthomatous hypophysitis and suggests that high dose glucocorticoid therapy as a treatment option.
Amenorrhea ; Cytoplasm ; Female ; Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glucocorticoids ; Headache ; Histiocytes ; Humans ; Hypopituitarism ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Meningitis, Aseptic ; Methylprednisolone ; Sella Turcica ; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune ; Vision Disorders ; Visual Acuity

BACKGROUND: Abbreviated chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy or full cycles of chemotherapy is recommended as a standard treatment for limited-stage (LS) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). After complete resection of tumors, however, Burkitt and childhood B-cell Non-Hodgkin lymphoma show favorable outcomes, even after abbreviated chemotherapy of only 2 or 3 cycles. We investigated the effectiveness of abbreviated chemotherapy in patients with LS DLBCL after complete tumor resection. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 18 patients with LS DLBCL who underwent complete tumor resection followed by either 3 or 4 cycles of chemotherapy between March 2002 and May 2010. RESULTS: With a median follow-up period of 57.9 months (range, 31.8-130.2 months), no patients experienced disease relapse or progression; however, 1 patient experienced secondary acute myeloid leukemia during follow-up. The 5-year progression-free survival rate and overall survival rate were 93.3% and 94.1%, respectively. CONCLUSION: These results warrant further investigation into abbreviated chemotherapy as an alternative treatment for patients who have undergone complete resection of LS DLBCL.
B-Lymphocytes ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Lymphoma, B-Cell* ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

BACKGROUND: Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBL) is a distinct subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which has no consensus for its ideal treatment or prognosis. METHODS: We reviewed the clinicopathologic features and clinical outcomes of 25 PMBL cases diagnosed at a single institution between 1993 and 2009 and compared them with 588 cases of non-mediastinal, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL, control group) diagnosed during the same period. RESULTS: Thirteen (52.0%) PMBL patients had Ann Arbor stage III or IV disease, and 10 (40.0%) had B symptoms. Thirteen (52%) PMBL patients were classified as high-intermediate/high-risk according to the International Prognostic Index. There was a significant prevalence of young (median: 31 years; range, 15-78 years; P<0.001), female (68%; P=0.014) patients in the PMBL group compared to the control group (median: 56 years; range, 15-85 years; 43.2% female). Bulky disease and elevated levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were more frequent in the PMBL group (P<0.001 and P=0.003, respectively). Nineteen (76%) PBML patients achieved complete remission, and 18 were alive at the last follow-up (median: 43 months; range, 1-92 months). There was no difference in the 3-year, overall survival rate (72%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 54.0-83.0 versus 70.1%, 95% CI, 109.0-126.0; P=0.686) between PMBL and control patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: Compared to patients with non-mediastinal DLBCL, Korean patients with PMBL are predominantly young women with bulky disease and high LDH levels but with no significant difference in survival.
B-Lymphocytes* ; Consensus ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea* ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, B-Cell* ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Prevalence ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate

Here we report a case of a 76-year-old man with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with simultaneous involvement of the right breast and left testicle. The patient underwent complete resection of the involved testis, followed by immunochemotherapy with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (R-CHOP) and prophylactic radiotherapy to the contralateral testis. Following this multimodal therapy, he achieved a complete response. This is a rare case of DLBCL involving both the breast and the testis in a male patient.
Aged ; Breast* ; Cyclophosphamide ; Doxorubicin ; Humans ; Lymphoma, B-Cell* ; Male ; Prednisolone ; Radiotherapy ; Testis* ; Vincristine

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of serum β2-microglobulin for patients with Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and to propose a risk-stratifying classification system. Materials and Methods: A prospective registry-based cohort study of BL patients treated with dose-intensive or effective dose-adjusted chemotherapies (n=81) was conducted. Survival outcomes were compared based on previously reported risk groups and/or serum β2-microglobulin levels. A risk-stratifying classification system incorporating serum β2-microglobulin levels was proposed and validated in an independent validation cohort (n=60). Results: The median age was 47 years, and 57 patients (70.4%) were male. Patients with high serum β2-microglobulin levels (> 2 mg/L) had significantly worse progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (p < 0.01 for both). Serum β2-microglobulin levels further stratified patients in the low-risk and high-risk groups in terms of PFS (p=0.010 and p=0.044, respectively) and OS (p=0.014 and p=0.026, respectively). Multivariate analyses revealed that a high serum β2-microglobulin level (> 2 mg/L) was independently associated with a shorter PFS (hazards ratio [HR], 3.56; p=0.047) and OS (HR, 4.66; p=0.043). The new classification system incorporating the serum β2-microglobulin level allowed the stratification of patients into three distinct risk subgroups with 5-year OS rates of 100%, 89.5%, and 62.5%. In an independent cohort of BL, the system was validated by stratifying patients with different survival outcomes. Conclusion Serum β2-microglobulin level is an independent prognostic factor for BL patients. The proposed β2-microglobulin–based classification system could stratify patients with distinct survival outcomes, which may help define appropriate treatment approaches for individual patients.

Purpose: Prognostic Index for Natural Killer Lymphoma (PINK) is the most widely accepted prognostic model for patients withextranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) treated with non-anthracycline–based therapy. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic implications of serum β-2 microglobulin (β2M) in the context of PINK and proposed a new prognostic model. Materials and Methods: A total of 138 patients who were newly diagnosed with ENKTL and treated with non-anthracycline-based chemotherapy were identified. The cut-off value of high serum β2M was calculated by maximal-chi square methods (4.1 mg/L). A new prognostic model incorporating serum β2M into PINK was proposed and validated in an independent validation cohort (n=88). Results: The patients’ median age was 53.5 years (range, 19 to 80 years). Patients with high serum β2M levels had significantly worse overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). In multivariate analysis, high serum β2M was an independent adverse prognostic factor for OS. A new PINK-B (Prognostic Index for Natural Killer Lymphoma-serum β-2 microglobulin) model stratifiedpatients into three groups with distinct OS and PFS in the training cohort (3-year OS, 84.1% [95% confidence interval, 75.1 to 94.2], 46.8% [36.1 to 60.8] and 17.6% [6.3 to 49.2] for the low-, intermediate, and high-risk groups, respectively; 3-year PFS, 70.6% [59.4 to 83.8], 35.9% [25.9 to 49.8], and 7.35% [1.1 to 46.7] for the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups, respectively). The PINK-B model was further validated in an independent cohort. Conclusion Serum β2M is an independent prognostic factor for ENKTL patients. The new serum β2M-based prognostic model may be useful for identifying ultra-high-risk patients, and it can easily be adopted into daily clinical practice.

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of serum β2-microglobulin for patients with Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and to propose a risk-stratifying classification system. Materials and Methods: A prospective registry-based cohort study of BL patients treated with dose-intensive or effective dose-adjusted chemotherapies (n=81) was conducted. Survival outcomes were compared based on previously reported risk groups and/or serum β2-microglobulin levels. A risk-stratifying classification system incorporating serum β2-microglobulin levels was proposed and validated in an independent validation cohort (n=60). Results: The median age was 47 years, and 57 patients (70.4%) were male. Patients with high serum β2-microglobulin levels (> 2 mg/L) had significantly worse progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (p < 0.01 for both). Serum β2-microglobulin levels further stratified patients in the low-risk and high-risk groups in terms of PFS (p=0.010 and p=0.044, respectively) and OS (p=0.014 and p=0.026, respectively). Multivariate analyses revealed that a high serum β2-microglobulin level (> 2 mg/L) was independently associated with a shorter PFS (hazards ratio [HR], 3.56; p=0.047) and OS (HR, 4.66; p=0.043). The new classification system incorporating the serum β2-microglobulin level allowed the stratification of patients into three distinct risk subgroups with 5-year OS rates of 100%, 89.5%, and 62.5%. In an independent cohort of BL, the system was validated by stratifying patients with different survival outcomes. Conclusion Serum β2-microglobulin level is an independent prognostic factor for BL patients. The proposed β2-microglobulin–based classification system could stratify patients with distinct survival outcomes, which may help define appropriate treatment approaches for individual patients.