A searchable database of
medically documented cases

About the Project

Spontaneous Regression Of Hiv-associated Hodgkin’s Disease

Parekh & Koduri, 2003Lymphoma

Parekh, S. and Koduri, P.R. (2003), spontaneous regression of HIV-associated Hodgkin's disease. Am. J. Hematol., 72: 153-154. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajh.10289

View Original Source →

Abstract

This article presents a clinical case of successful treatment of gram-negative sepsis in a patient with HIV-associated non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit in critical condition after the third course of polychemotherapy according to the ICE scheme. The severity of the condition was due to nosocomial pneumonia, septic shock, multiple organ failure, immunosuppression against the background of PCT and HIV infection, and the lack of specific treatment for HIV infection. Despite the absence of a positive blood culture throughout the entire treatment period, the diagnosis of sepsis was not in doubt, according to the criteria of the 2001 International Consensus Conference on Sepsis. The cause of the septic state was the combined effect of bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and fungi (Candida albicans, Candida krusei) against the background of persistent HIV infection. The patient’s pneumonia was destructive and was twice aggravated by spontaneous pneumothorax. At the initial stage, intensive therapy led to positive dynamics. The severity of the systemic inflammatory response decreased, the acute respiratory insufficiency regressed, the X-ray pattern improved, and laboratory parameters stabilized. Despite the continued intensive therapy in the former volume on day 19, a sharply negative dynamics was noted, which led to a re-transfer of the patient to artificial ventilation of the lungs. The replacement of antibiotics and the specific treatment of HIV infection led to the patient’s recovery. In the future, chemotherapy was not carried out. Remission of the disease lasts six years.

Case Details

Disease Location

Left axilla and left chest spleen, liver lymph nodes

Personal Characteristics

46 -year-old male HIV-seropositive for 14 years may 2001

Clinical Characteristics

Patient noticed swelling in the left axilla for 8 months and a swelling on the left side of his chest wall for 2 months, there were no night sweats, fever but he had lost 10 lbs in weight. No history of aids-defining events there were 3-4 matted lymph nodes measuring 7 x 6 cm in the left axilla and a 7 x 6cm ill-defined firm swelling in the left upper out pectoral region incisional biopsy in nov 2001 showed total effacement of nodal architecture by small round lymphocytes and histiocytes, mononuclear hodgkin's cells and r-s cells, eosinophils, plasma cells and neutrophils. R-s cells were positive for CD30 and 15, and negative for CD45 and 20. CT of chest and abdomen showed a 7x7cm mass under the left pec; and left axillary, pre-tracheal and sub-carinal lymphadenopathy; hepatomegaly; periportal lymphadenopathy; and several hypodense lesions in a mildly enlarged spleen hemoglobin was 12.5 g/dl, leukocytes 8.1x1.^6/l and platelets 185x10^5/l. CD4 count was 614, and HIV RNA <50 copies/ml serum creatinine was 0.9mg/dl, total protein 7.5 g/dl, albumin 4.8g/dl, serum alkaline phosphatase 129 u/l, and lactate dehydrogenase 155 u/l. Serum calcium was 13.9 mg/dl, phosphate 2.0 mg/dl, 25-hydroxy vitamin d 36 ng/ml, 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin d 44 pg/ml, parathormone related protein <0.2 pmol/l and intact patient 173 pg/ml therapy for hodgkin's was deferred

Remission Characteristics

4 weeks after the parathyroidectomy, he was well with no change in body weight the previous left pectoral mass was no longer palpable the mass in the left axilla had virtually pompletely resolved leaving only a single, 2cm firm ovoid ln along the medial wall serum calcium was normal repeat CT with contrast showed resolution of the left subpectoral mass of nodes and the left axillary ln mas now measured 3cm. Findings in the abdomen showed no change

Treatment & Mechanisms

Proposed Remission Mechanisms

No major mechanism proposed immunologic defences

Clinical Treatment

HIV was treated with didanosine, lamivudine, ritonavir, and lopinavir

Non-Clinical Treatment

None reported