Hodgkin's Lymphoma-like Posttransplantation Lymphoproliferative Disorder after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

ABSTRACT

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients have a risk of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), which normally develops in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) transformed donor B lymphocytes. The incidence of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) ranges from 1.8% to 3.4% of PTLD after HSCT. There are no case reports of early onset HL-like PTLD that developed less than one year after HSCT. We encountered a case of early onset PTLD after an unrelated HSCT following reduced-intensity conditioning with cyclophosphamide/fludarabine/thymoglobulin. A 24 year old patient with severe aplastic anemia developed multiple lymphadenopathies at day 95 after HSCT. The excisional biopsy revealed HL-like PTLD, which tested positive to immunohistochemical staining for the EBV. The Ann Arbor stage was IIA. Immunosuppressive agents were discontinued for 2 weeks in order to induce a graft-versus-lymphoma effect without a response. A total 4 cycles of chemotherapy with doxorubicin (adriamycin)/bleomycin/ vinblastine/dacarbazine (ABVD) and radiotherapy (total dosage 3,400 cGy) were then carried out. The response to salvage treatment was complete remission. The patient showed no evidence of the disease at the follow-up performed 32 months after HSCT.