ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: We previously reported elsewhere of a follicular lymphoma patient suffering from persistent COVID-19 pneumonia that was still ongoing at 2 months after onset. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We provide a follow-up report of the case along with a literature review of immunocompromised lymphoma patients experiencing prolonged COVID-19 infections. RESULTS: Although requiring a full 1 year, the presented case eventually achieved spontaneous resolution of COVID-19 pneumonia. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies could not be detected throughout the disease course, but COVID-19-directed T-cell response was found to be intact. The patient also developed secondary immune thrombocytopenia subsequent to COVID-19 pneumonia. We found 19 case reports of immunocompromised lymphoma patients with prolonged COVID-19 infections in the literature. All 5 patients who died did not receive convalescent plasma therapy, whereas resolution of COVID-19 infection was achieved in 8 out of 9 patients who received convalescent plasma therapy. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate through the presented case that while time-consuming, resolution of COVID-19 infections may be achieved without aid from humoral immunity if cellular immunity is intact. Immunocompromised lymphoma patients are at risk of a prolonged disease course of COVID-19, and convalescent plasma therapy may be a promising approach in such patients.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/immunology , Lymphoma, Follicular/drug therapy , Pneumonia/immunology , Rituximab/therapeutic use , SARS-CoV-2/immunology , Thrombocytopenia/immunology , Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological/therapeutic use , COVID-19/virology , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Immunocompromised Host/immunology , Lymphoma, Follicular/complications , Lymphoma, Follicular/immunology , Maintenance Chemotherapy/methods , Middle Aged , Pneumonia/complications , Pneumonia/virology , Remission, Spontaneous , SARS-CoV-2/physiology , T-Lymphocytes/immunology , T-Lymphocytes/virology , Thrombocytopenia/complicationsABSTRACT
Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) may occur following a viral infection. We report the case of a 30-year-old woman with thrombocytopenia who was subsequently diagnosed with ITP. Although she was asymptomatic, chest computed tomography (CT) showed ground-glass opacities in the lower lung regions. The patient had a positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test. She responded well to 400 mg/kg of intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. Coronavirus disease of 2019 or COVID-19 should be considered as a cause of ITP during the pandemic, and chest CT scans and RT-PCR tests should be performed in patients suspected of ITP.