[Hypercalcemia due to adult T-cell lymphoma in a man from Surinam].
A 48-year-old male patient from Surinam presented with anorexia, nausea and weight loss. An extreme hypercalcaemia of 5.08 mmol/l was found. Further diagnostic investigations showed that this patient had a HTLV-1 positive adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma (ATL/L). This is often associated with multilobularly nucleated lymphocytes, bone destruction and hypercalcaemia. Skin localisations are frequently observed. The combination of cytomorphology, immunophenotyping, HTLV-1 seropositivity and clinical findings points to the diagnosis. The patient was treated with 6 courses of chemotherapy consisting of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, teniposide, prednisone, vincristine and bleomycin. Upon inquiry it appeared that he had died elsewhere. Chemotherapy induces a short-lived remission in a minority of ATL/L patients. Antiviral therapy (alpha interferon, zidovudine) might offer new possibilities.
Tan
A C
AC
Afd. Inwendige Geneeskunde, Ziekenhuis Rijnstate, Arnhem. a.tan@hccnet.nl
Janssens
P M
PM
Meijer
J W
JW
Mol
J J
JJ
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D006934:Hypercalcemia / Q000209:etiology*; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013532:Suriname / Q000208:ethnology
D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies