Thymoma complicated by acquired amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia and pure red cell aplasia.

Abstract

Although the association of pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) and aplastic anemia with thymoma is well-known, acquired amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (AAMT) is not a recognized paraneoplastic manifestation of thymoma. This report discusses a patient with recurrent thymoma complicated by myasthenia gravis, PRCA, and AAMT. Both PRCA and AAMT are diagnosed after a thymoma recurrence, 11 years after complete resection of the initial tumor and 9 months after chemotherapy for the relapsed disease. Both PRCA and AAMT responded to immunosuppression with cyclosporine, corticosteroid, and an abbreviated course of antithymocyte globulin, achieving a very good erythroid response and a complete remission for AAMT, suggesting that AAMT, although extremely rare, can be an immune-mediated paraneoplastic manifestation of thymoma.

• Authors: Carl M Gay, William N William Jr, Sa A Wang, Thein Hlaing Oo
• Journal: Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN (J Natl Compr Canc Netw) Vol. 12 Issue 11 Pg. 1505-9 (Nov 2014) ISSN: 1540-1413 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25361796 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2014 by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

Topics

• Adult
• Bone Marrow Diseases (complications)
• Humans
• Male
• Purpura, Thrombocytopenic (complications)
• Red-Cell Aplasia, Pure (complications)
• Thymoma (etiology)
• Thymus Neoplasms (etiology)