[Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma associated with cold agglutinin disease].
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) complicated with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is not unusual. Two cases of NHL associated with cold agglutinin disease were reported. Case 1: A 38-year-old man had diffuse medium-sized cell NHL diagnosed by cervical lymph node biopsy. The Hb was 7.6 g/dl with a cold agglutinin titer of 32,768, and the IgM level was 890 mg/dl (I-specific), so cold agglutinin disease (CAD) was suspected. After administration of COP-BLAM therapy, complete remission (CR) was achieved along with a decrease in the cold agglutinin titer and improvement of anemia. Case 2: A 68-year-old woman had follicular mixed NHL diagnosed by inguinal lymph node biopsy. The Hb was 8.2 g/dl with a cold agglutinin titer of 51,200, and an IgM level of 920 mg/dl (I specific), thus concurrent CAD was suspected. Biweekly COP-BLAM therapy was administered and CR was achieved along with a decrease in the cold agglutinin titer and improvement of her anemia. In both patients, the cold agglutinin titer decreased after CR was achieved suggesting that production of anti-erythrocyte autoantibody was due to disturbance of the antibody system by NHL.
Niitsu
N
N
First Department of Internal Medicine, Toho University School of Medicine.
Nakayama
M
M
Kato
M
M
Umeda
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000744:Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male