[Eosinophilia caused by solid malignancy].
A 48-year-old woman with exanthema, pruritus and eosinophilia was found upon further examination to have a small-cell bronchus carcinoma; after chemotherapy and radiotherapy there was an almost complete response and the skin symptoms disappeared. A 70-year-old man who was recently treated due to primary malignant fibrous histiocytoma associated with eosinophilia became cachectic and anaemic. He was found to have a metastased leiomyosarcoma and died shortly afterwards. Worldwide the most common cause of eosinophilia is a parasitic infection, whereas in Western Europe the most common causes are allergic reactions and medicine use. Paraneoplastic symptoms are present in 7-10% of adults with cancer. However, the frequency of eosinophilia as a paraneoplastic phenomenon is unknown. It is important to recognise this phenomenon of paraneoplastic eosinophilia for the timely diagnosis and treatment of the underlying disease.
Niamut
S M L
SM
Afd. Interne Geneeskunde, Martini Ziekenhuis, Postbus 30.033, 9700 RM Groningen. l.niamut@mzh.nl
de Vries
P A M
PA
van Putten
J W G
JW
de Jong
R S
RS
D000368:Aged; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000209:etiology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis