Simultaneous occurrence of polycythemia vera and Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia: a case report and review of the literature.
Polycythemia vera and lymphoproliferative disorders can occur simultaneously. Lymphoproliferative disorders reported to occur simultaneously with polycythemia vera include chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Different theories have attempted to explain this occurrence. Some implicate a common cell of origin to the two disorders, others include chance alone, yet others implicate an underlying humoral or immune mechanism caused by the first disorder leading to a second clonal expansion. We report the first case of polycythemia vera with a simultaneous diagnosis of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, and we review the literature trying to explain this unusual occurrence.
Saba
Nabil F
NF
Department of Oncology, Hematology and Transplantation, Hennepin County Medical Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA. nabil.saba@co.hennepin.mn.us
Warth
James A
JA
Ross
Donald G
DG
D000368:Aged; D002999:Clone Cells; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D011087:Polycythemia Vera / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D008258:Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology