title: Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: Two cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are described. Patient-1 was a 65-year-old woman in whom SLE and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma were concurrently diagnosed. The patient presented with low-grade fever, butterfly rash, arthritis and generalized lymphadenopathy without splenomegaly or bone marrow involvement. Complete remission of NHL and SLE was achieved with cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine and prednisone. Patient-2 was a 56-year-old woman in whom SLE had been diagnosed 14 years earlier. The patient presented with low-grade fever, bulky splenomegaly without lymphadenopathy, IgMA paraproteinemia, and expansion of a monoclonal CD19+/CD22+ lambda-type B-cell population in both bone marrow and peripheral blood. Diagnosis of a lympho-plasmacytoid lymphoma was established histologically after splenectomy. A partial remission of the neoplasm was achieved with cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisone. We suggest that the development of NHLs in patients with SLE may not be coincidental and we recommend the search for NHL in cases of SLE with prominent lymphadenopathy, massive splenomegaly or expansion of a monoclonal CD19+/CD22+ B-cell population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, University of Crete School of Medicine, University Hospital of Heraklion, PO Box 1352, Crete, Greece. epapadak@med.uoc.gr
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Papadaki
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Xylouri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Katrinakis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Foudoulakis
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Kritikos
authors.forename: E N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Stathopoulos
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Boumpas
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Eliopoulos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D013156:Splenectomy