Abstract |
A 47-year-old man with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) developed angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy with dysproteinemia (AILD) 4 months after induction chemotherapy for AML. During a leukopenic period, the patient suffered from pericarditis with massive pericardial effusion in which human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) DNA was detected. Although complete remission of AML was achieved, fever persisted and atypical skin rash followed by generalized lymphadenopathy along with polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia appeared. A diagnosis of AILD was made on a biopsy specimen of the inguinal lymph node. The patient died of fulminant hepatitis and the autopsy showed lymphomatous infiltrates involving the liver, bone marrow, lungs, spleen, kidneys and heart. HHV-6 DNA sequences were identified in the biopsy specimen of the lymph node and in the involved organ tissues. HHV-6 in this patient was variant B. It is known that HHV-6 can be reactivated in immunocompromised patients and causes severe complications. This unusual clinical course suggests that the immunosuppression associated with AML and the additional iatrogenic immunosuppression following cytopenia-inducing chemotherapy predisposed the patient to reactivated HHV-6 infection. The sequential detection of this virus before and after manifestation of AILD may support the evidence that HHV-6 infection could directly or indirectly trigger AILD. This is the first time that such a sequence of events has been reported to our knowledge. The possibility of HHV-6 infection should be considered when unexplained fever and generalized lymphadenopathy are seen in patients with leukemia, and administration of antiviral agents should be considered for the diagnostic evaluation.
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Authors | M Daibata, E Ido, K Murakami, T Kuzume, I Kubonishi, H Taguchi, I Miyoshi |
Journal | Leukemia
(Leukemia)
Vol. 11
Issue 6
Pg. 882-5
(Jun 1997)
ISSN: 0887-6924 [Print] England |
PMID | 9177444
(Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)
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Chemical References |
- DNA, Viral
- Cytarabine
- Idarubicin
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Topics |
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
(therapeutic use)
- Autopsy
- Cytarabine
(administration & dosage)
- DNA, Viral
(analysis)
- Fatal Outcome
- Fever
- Herpesviridae Infections
(complications, pathology)
- Herpesvirus 6, Human
(isolation & purification)
- Humans
- Hypergammaglobulinemia
(complications)
- Idarubicin
(administration & dosage)
- Immunoblastic Lymphadenopathy
(complications, immunology, pathology)
- Immunophenotyping
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute
(drug therapy)
- Lymph Nodes
(pathology, virology)
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Pericarditis
(complications)
- Polymerase Chain Reaction
(methods)
- Remission Induction
- Tumor Virus Infections
(complications, pathology)
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