Acromegaly and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
OBJECTIVE
To present the fourth case report of development of a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in a patient with active acromegaly.


METHODS
We describe the clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings in a patient with untreated acromegaly in whom a large cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma developed.


RESULTS
Acromegaly is associated with several comorbid conditions. Among these is a higher incidence of several types of visceral malignant lesions, especially carcinoma of the colon. Growth hormone stimulates the hepatic production of somatomedins, such as insulin-like growth factors, which are known promoters of human growth and have also been implicated in tumorigenesis. In recent years, several cases of lymphoproliferative diseases have also been noted in patients with acromegaly. These conditions include multiple myeloma, lymphoma, and leukemia; three previous cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma have been described. In our patient, a 57-year-old man with acromegaly, magnetic resonance imaging of the pituitary gland disclosed a large intrasellar mass. Large cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was diagnosed. Six months of chemotherapy yielded complete remission.


CONCLUSIONS
An additional case of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in a patient with acromegaly supports the accumulating evidence of an increased risk for development of cancer in such patients.
Alves
R H
RH
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and Clementino Fraga Filho, University Hospital, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Vaisman
M
M
Brasil
R R
RR
Gadelha
M R
MR