Transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease in a patient with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia.
OBJECTIVE
Routine irradiation of cellular blood products is not presently recommended for patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).


METHODS
We report the case of a 72-year-old-man with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia who developed transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease (TA-GvHD) 13 days following a non-irradiated red cell transfusion.


RESULTS
The patient had not previously received purine analogues and none of the donors was homozygous for a human leucocyte antigen (HLA) haplotype that was shared by the recipient. Therefore, his only apparent risk factor was lymphoplasmacytoid NHL.


CONCLUSIONS
This case further strengthens the argument that NHL per se is a risk factor for TA-GvHD and supports the proposal that the guidelines for prophylactic irradiation of cellular blood products be extended to include all cases of NHL.
D000368:Aged; D001787:Blood Group Incompatibility; D001788:Blood Grouping and Crossmatching; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell; D008297:Male; D013242:Sterilization; D008258:Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy