Malignant lymphoma associated with hanseniasis

RESUMO

There are few reports in the world medical literature concerning association between leprosy and malignant lymphoma. It seams that, although defects in immune system related to leprosy are multiple and complex, no increase in incidence of malignant lymphoma among leprosy patients can be detected. This is also true for Brazil, where leprosy is an endemic disease, which poses an important public health problem. For this reason, the authors report on three cases of malignant lymphoma one low grade, B-cell lymphoma (immunocytoma) one high grade, T-cell lymphoma and one mixed cellularity Hodgkin's disease in patients previously diagnosed as having leprosy.