title: Chronic hepatitis C infection in a patient with bone marrow hypoplasia.
abstract: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with multifarious extra-hepatic manifestations; the most described and discussed being mixed cryoglobulinemia which is strongly related to B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders (LPDs). We present a case of chronic HCV infection and mixed cryoglobulinemia, with minimal liver involvement. The case is a 53-year-old patient who was diagnosed as having bone marrow hypoplasia at the age of three. She received several blood transfusions to normalize her haemoglobin. At the age of 31, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis on account of her diffuse joint pain and inflammation, elevated rheumatoid factor (RF) and Raynaud's phenomenon. Twenty years later, monoclonal gammopathy of IgG Lambda (one year later, changed to IgM Kappa) was detected during a routine examination. A bone marrow biopsy showed hypoplasia, Kappa positive B-lymphocytes and low-grade malignant lymphoma cells. PCR of the bone marrow aspirate was not contributory. No treatment was initiated owing to her poor bone marrow function and she is under regular follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liege, Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Medecine Interne, CHU, B35, Domaine du Sart-Tilman 4000, Belgium.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bethlen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chandrikakumari
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Leval
authors.forename: J-B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Giot
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mukeba
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leonard
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Frippiat
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meuris
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Delwaide
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moutschen
mesh_terms: D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology*; D001855:Bone Marrow Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged