Jian Hua

Primary Renal Lymphoma: A Case Report and Literature Review

Primary renal lymphoma (PRL) is a rare disease which is often mistaken for renal cell carcinoma. In the present study, a 56-year-old man visited a clinic complaining of an intermittent fever and right flank pain. A computerized tomography examination revealed a hypoenhancing mass in his right kidney. Radical nephrectomy was conducted, and a diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was confirmed. The present case was determined to be a true PRL according to the results of a positron emission tomography examination and a bone marrow biopsy to rule out any lymphoma invasions apart from the right kidney.

Tumor lysis syndrome soon after treatment with hydroxyurea followed by nilotinib in two patients with chronic-phase chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Nilotinib, a second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor with 20- to 30-fold greater potency than imatinib, was developed to overcome imatinib intolerance or resistance. Recently, nilotinib has been approved as a first-line treatment for chronic myelogenous leukemia in the US and Japan. Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is an extremely rare adverse event that can occur during treatment with nilotinib, with only a few reported cases to date. Herein, we report two patients who developed TLS soon after the start of treatment with nilotinib. While in the first case, which co-presented with underlying mild-to-moderate renal insufficiency due to polycystic kidney disease, the TLS resolved on discontinuation of the drug, the second patient, who had an exceedingly high white blood cell count, presented with disseminated intravascular coagulation and severe liver injury triggered by TLS that developed after the start of nilotinib treatment, and died of multiple organ failure. Therefore, caution is necessary when this drug is used in the first-line setting in patients with renal insufficiency or a high tumor burden.

Methotrexate-associated Intravascular Large B-cell Lymphoma in a Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Very Rare Case

We herein report a rare case of methotrexate (MTX)-associated intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) in a man with rheumatoid arthritis. Two episodes of a fever of unknown origin accompanied by elevated levels of serum lactate dehydrogenase and the soluble interleukin-2 receptor occurred within a year, so the patient was suspected of having an MTX-associated lymphoproliferative disorder. His clinical symptoms resolved after the cessation of MTX. However, after treatment with iguratimod, another disease-modified anti-rheumatic drug, markedly similar symptoms recurred, and random skin biopsies resulted in a diagnosis of IVLBCL. The patient received a rituximab-containing chemotherapy and achieved complete remission.

The effects of azacitidine on the response and prognosis of myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia involving a bone marrow erythroblast frequency of >50%

We reviewed the cases of 68 consecutive patients who were diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS, n=61) or acute erythroleukemia (AEL, n=7) according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2008 criteria and had previously been treated with azacitidine, a hypomethylating agent. Fifteen MDS patients had bone marrow erythroblast frequencies of ≥50%, and 6 out of the 7 AEL patients were reclassified as MDS (refractory anemia with excess blasts [RAEB]-1: 1, RAEB-2: 5) according to the revised WHO 2016 criteria. There was no difference between the overall response ratio (41%), as determined by a hematological improvement in at least one of 3 lineages, of these erythroid rich patients and that of the control group, which comprised 46 MDS patients with bone marrow erythroblast frequencies of <50%. Three MDS patients that exhibited erythroid predominance achieved complete remission. The overall survival period (median: 15 months) of the erythroblast-predominant group was not inferior to that of the control group (median: 16 months). These results indicate that azacitidine is a promising treatment option for MDS/AEL irrespective of the numbers of erythroid cells in the patients bone marrow.

Primary autoimmune myelofibrosis with severe thrombocytopenia mimicking immune thrombocytopenia: A case report

Patients presenting with bone marrow fibrosis not accompanied by well-established autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, or malignant diseases, are considered to have primary autoimmune myelofibrosis (AIMF). Primary AIMF has been reported to follow a benign course and responds well to treatment with immunosuppressive agents. Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is also an autoimmune disorder characterized by antiplatelet-antibody-mediated thrombocytopenia in the absence of other causes of thrombocytopenia. We herein present a rare case of a female patient who was diagnosed with primary AIMF. The patient presented with severe thrombocytopenia, which was initially misdiagnosed as ITP. The symptoms of the disease resolved completely following steroid treatment. After withdrawal of the treatment at 1 year from the diagnosis, the bone marrow examination showed no evidence of bone marrow fibrosis or other abnormalities. To date, the patient has been followed up for 2 years without evidence of disease.

Simultaneous Manifestation of Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia and Multiple Myeloma during Treatment by Prednisolone and Eltrombopag for Immune-Mediated Thrombocytopenic Purpura

An 80-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of severe thrombocytopenia. He was diagnosed with idiopathic thrombocytopenia, and prednisolone together with eltrombopag was started, leading to significant improvement of platelet counts. Four years later, there was a prominent increase of peripheral blood monocytes, which was accompanied by recurrence of thrombocytopenia. Bone marrow aspirates and serum electrophoresis revealed coexistence of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) and multiple myeloma (MM). The patient received lenalidomide plus dexamethasone therapy but died due to exacerbation of the disorder. It was supposed that thrombocytopenia was secondarily caused by CMML and MM developed at a later period.

A Rare Monocytic Crisis of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Presenting with Unusual Extramedullary Manifestations and an Atypical (14;22)(q24;q11.2) Translocation in the Bone Marrow

A 48-year-old man was admitted due to marked leukocytosis. Bone marrow examinations resulted in a diagnosis of Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia. One month later, massive muscle and bone invasion by leukemic cells was detected. After induction chemotherapy, he complained of a headache and visual loss, which was caused by a leukemic infiltration in the central nervous system. After temporary remission in response to chemotherapy, the disease relapsed in the form of an intracranial tumor. The unusual t(14;22)(q24;q11.2) translocation of the Ph-chromosome and the significant increase in monocytes observed might have contributed to the unique and aggressive clinical course.

Recurrence of Waldenström macroglobulinemia accompanied by factor X deficiency

A medical check-up revealed severe anemia in an 85-year-old man who had been diagnosed with Waldenström macroglobulinemia 11 years previously. On the other hand, prolonged PT and aPTT were demonstrated on admission, and were attributed to a significant decrease in factor X activity. These abnormalities were all considered to be have been caused by an exacerbation of the underlying disease and, thus, chemotherapy with the RCD regimen (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, dexamethasone) was started. No significant improvement was obtained and the patient died suddenly on day 154. AL amyloidosis was diagnosed by histopathological examinations and also confirmed by a sequence analysis of amyloid protein. This case with Waldenström macroglobulinemia complicated by AL amyloidosis and recurrent factor X deficiency is quite rare.

Achievement of hemodialysis discontinuation with lenalidomide and dexamethasone therapy in a refractory BJP-type multiple myeloma patient.

A 63-year-old man with Bence Jones-κ multiple myeloma (MM) presented with renal impairment. First, we administered a bortezomib-containing regimen which is considered to be the first choice among therapeutic approaches for MM patients with renal failure. However, his condition was refractory to bortezomib, and the renal dysfunction worsened (creatinine 12.55mg/dl) necessitating the initiation of hemodialysis. Subsequently, we administered an adjusted dose of lenalidomide and dexamethasone. Dialysis could be discontinued after 3 cycles of lenalidomide therapy. After 4 cycles, he achieved a stringent complete response (sCR) with the creatinine level at 1.85mg/dl. This case suggests lenalidomide to be an effective drug for patients with multiple myeloma and renal impairment refractory to treatment with bortezomib.