Acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura due to antibody-mediated ADAMTS13 deficiency precipitated by a localized Castleman's disease: a case report.

Acquired ADAMTS13 inhibitor causing thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) may be precipitated by some infections, inflammatory diseases or neoplasia. We reported a case of refractory TTP precipitated by a newly diagnosed localized Castleman's disease (CD). TTP was initially treated with plasma exchange and immunosuppressive therapy with corticosteroids; however the treatment failed to promote sustained response. During hospitalization, an abdominal tumor was diagnosed and resected; the histological analysis revealed a CD of hyaline-vascular variant rich stroma. After tumor removal, the patient achieved a long-lasting clinical remission and normalized ADAMTS13 activity. This clinical case describes a novel association of acquired ADAMTS13 inhibitor and CD. The antibody to ADAMTS13 developed along with the systemic manifestation of CD and promptly disappeared after the resection of the tumor. There are reports of neoplasia-associated thrombotic microangiopathy however direct evidence of CD-dependent ADAMTS13 inhibitor had not yet been reported.

COVID-19 in chronic myeloid leukemia patients in Latin America.

This observational, multicenter study aimed to report the clinical evolution of COVID-19 in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in Latin America. A total of 92 patients presented with COVID-19 between March and December 2020, 26% of whom were severe or critical. The median age at COVID-19 diagnosis was 48 years (22-79 years), 32% were 60 years or older, and 61% were male. Thirty-nine patients presented with at least one comorbidity (42.3%). Eighty-one patients recovered (88%), and 11 (11.9%) died from COVID-19. There was one case of reinfection. Patients with a major molecular response presented superior overall survival compared to patients with no major molecular response (91 vs. 61%, respectively; p = 0.004). Patients in treatment-free remission and receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitors showed higher survival rates than patients who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and those who did not receive tyrosine kinase inhibitors (100, 89, 50, and 33%, respectively; p < 0.001).

Evaluation of anemia after long-term treatment with imatinib in chronic myeloid leukemia patients in chronic phase.

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of grade 3-4 anemia was reported to be 3% with imatinib therapy for newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the chronic phase (CP). However, there are few data regarding the causes and the development of anemia after long-term treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of anemia after at least two years of imatinib treatment of CML patients in the CP and to identify other contributing causes of anemia in this population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 97 CML patients in the CP treated with imatinib for at least two years. We analyzed the hemoglobin (Hb) levels of CML patients at diagnosis, upon initiation of treatment with imatinib and after two years of imatinib treatment, and investigated other causes of anemia in this population. RESULTS: Most of the patients presented Hb levels below the normal range (80.4%) after the second year of treatment, 17.9% grade 2 and 1.3% grade 3. In 13 cases (16.7%), anemia was attributed to resistance and in 13 cases (16.7%) the following causes were identified: iron deficiency (n=5), hypothyroidism (n=2), vitamin B12 deficiency (n=3), acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) (n=1), pulmonary tuberculosis (n=1) and renal toxicity (n=1). In 52 patients (66.6%), there were no other factors contributing to anemia, except imatinib treatment. CONCLUSION: Regular follow-up is required to identify the causes of anemia not related to CML or imatinib toxicity. The importance of investigating secondary causes of anemia should be emphasized, especially in patients with good adherence to treatment and satisfactory therapeutic response.

Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm with Pulmonary Involvement and Atypical Skin Lesion.

BACKGROUND Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare hematodermic malignancy neoplasm with highly aggressive course and poor prognosis. This disease typically presents with cutaneous involvement as the first manifestation, with subsequent or simultaneous spread to bone marrow and peripheral blood.  CASE REPORT Here, we report the case of a 51-year-old woman who presented a violaceus skin lesion on the lateral region of the right thigh, weight loss, fever, and lymphadenopathies. Computed tomography (CT) displayed thoracic and abdominal lymph node and alveolar bleeding. Flow cytometry from circulating blastic cells was compatible with BPDCN (CD4+, CD56+ and CD123+). She underwent 5 cycles of hyper-CVAD alternating with high-dose methotrexate and cytarabine, but the patient died due to alveolar bleeding and sepsis. CONCLUSIONS We report a rare case of BPDCN characterized by an aggressive course, presence of atypical skin lesion, a finding suggestive of pulmonary infiltration, and nonresponse to induction chemotherapy, leading to late diagnosis and therapeutic management. Because of the late recognition of the skin lesion, neoplastic cells infiltrated the dermis and spread as the disease progressed rapidly to a fatal course.

Evaluation of anemia after long-term treatment with imatinib in chronic myeloid leukemia patients in chronic phase

ABSTRACT Introduction: The incidence of grade 3-4 anemia was reported to be 3% with imatinib therapy for newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the chronic phase (CP). However, there are few data regarding the causes and the development of anemia after long-term treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of anemia after at least two years of imatinib treatment of CML patients in the CP and to identify other contributing causes of anemia in this population. Patients and methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 97 CML patients in the CP treated with imatinib for at least two years. We analyzed the hemoglobin (Hb) levels of CML patients at diagnosis, upon initiation of treatment with imatinib and after two years of imatinib treatment, and investigated other causes of anemia in this population. Results: Most of the patients presented Hb levels below the normal range (80.4%) after the second year of treatment, 17.9% grade 2 and 1.3% grade 3. In 13 cases (16.7%), anemia was attributed to resistance and in 13 cases (16.7%) the following causes were identified: iron deficiency (n = 5), hypothyroidism (n = 2), vitamin B12 deficiency (n = 3), acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) (n = 1), pulmonary tuberculosis (n = 1) and renal toxicity (n = 1). In 52 patients (66.6%), there were no other factors contributing to anemia, except imatinib treatment. Conclusion: Regular follow-up is required to identify the causes of anemia not related to CML or imatinib toxicity. The importance of investigating secondary causes of anemia should be emphasized, especially in patients with good adherence to treatment and satisfactory therapeutic response.