Primary malignant lymphoma of uterine corpus: case report and review of the literature.

We describe a patient presenting with postmenopausal vaginal bleeding and a uterine mass subjected to endometrial biopsy that showed a high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, consistent with a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Staging computed tomography (CT) scans of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis revealed three lung nodules in addition to the uterine mass. Fine needle aspirate of one lung lesion showed lymphomatous involvement. She was treated with intensive chemotherapy alone and has remained in complete remission 21 months after diagnosis. The literature on primary lymphoma of the uterine corpus is reviewed.

Cocaine-contaminated allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

Should a person with history of drug addiction be categorically denied as a bone marrow donor? The answer to the question is controversial. We report a case of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for refractory acute myeloid leukemia preceded by essential thrombocythemia. The donor used cocaine and marijuana the night before the bone marrow harvest.

Myelodysplasia-like syndrome and end-stage liver disease: report of 2 cases.

We report 2 cases of myelodysplastic syndrome associated with cirrhosis caused by primary biliary cirrhosis and alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency. The etiology of myelodysplasia and its implication in liver transplantation is discussed.

Bone marrow cytogenetic abnormalities of aplastic anemia.

Cytogenetic abnormalities in association with aplastic anemia have been reported fairly infrequently. Clonal cytogenetic abnormalities at initial diagnosis are uncommon. A retrospective study was performed of the cytogenetic findings in patients with typical morphological and clinical features of severe aplastic anemia from a single institution for the years 1988 through 1998. A total of 30 cases of aplastic anemia, 16 men and 14 women, were identified. The median age was 60 with females being significantly older (67.5 years) in comparison to males (44 years). Bone marrow specimens failed to yield metaphases in 16 cases and normal karyotypes were detected in 11 cases. Cytogenetic abnormalities were detected in 3 cases. Clonal abnormalities, as defined, occurred in only 2 cases (6.7%). A review of the literature identified a total of 24 cases of aplastic anemia with abnormal cytogenetic findings. Overall, the most common chromosome abnormalities are trisomies of 6 and 8 and loss of chromosome 7. Trisomy 6 is more common at diagnosis while loss of chromosome 7 is more common after therapy.

Anaerobic bacteremia in a neutropenic patient with oral mucositis.

An increasing number of anaerobic bloodstream infections in neutropenic cancer patients have been reported in the last decade. The type of anaerobes isolated from most of these patients suggests an oral source of infection. We describe a case of anaerobic bacteremia in a neutropenic patient with oral mucositis that highlights the importance of considering these organisms when selecting empiric prophylactic or therapeutic antimicrobial regimens, especially in the setting of periodontal disease or oral mucositis.

Drug-induced hypertriglyceridemia with and without pancreatitis.

We describe two cases of drug-induced hypertriglyceridemia, one associated with interferon alfa-2b and the other with asparaginase, each of which is mediated through a different mechanism. Hypertriglyceridemia caused by these medications is not listed as an adverse reaction in the Physicians' Desk Reference, one of the most popular pharmacologic reference sources used in the United States. We emphasize the importance of early recognition of this metabolic effect and the potential life-threatening complication, acute pancreatitis.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection masquerading as diffuse alveolar hemorrhage after autologous stem cell transplant.

We report a fatal case of pulmonary tuberculosis masquerading as diffuse alveolar hemorrhage after autologous stem cell transplant.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in a patient with sickle cell crisis.

The combination of sickle cell disease crisis and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura has been described only a few times. Here we present the case of a patient with a hemolytic crisis due to sickle cell disease complicated by thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. We also review the cases previously reported and compare and contrast them, highlighting diagnostic challenges.

Thrombotic risk of muscular dystrophy: protein C deficiency, factor V Leiden, and myotonic dystrophy.

While patients with hereditary muscular disorder are more sedentary and believed to be at risk of thrombosis, there is little literature on thrombosis associated with hereditary muscular disorder. We report a rare case of double heterozygous type I protein C deficiency and factor V Leiden in a patient with classic myotonic dystrophy.