ABSTRACT
The authors present the first case report of a patient with lymphoma who developed disseminated cryptococcal osteomyelitis and meningitis while being treated with the PEP-C (prednisone, etoposide, procarbazine and cyclophosphamide) chemotherapy regimen. During investigation of fever and new bony lesions, fungal culture from a rib biopsy revealed that the patient had cryptococcal osteomyelitis. Further evaluation demonstrated concurrent cryptococcal meningitis. The patient's disseminated cryptococcal infections completely resolved after a full course of antifungal treatment. Cryptococcal osteomyelitis is itself an extremely rare diagnosis, and the unique presentation with concurrent cryptococcal meningitis in our patient with lymphoma was likely due to his PEP-C treatment. It is well recognised that prolonged intensive chemotherapeutic regimens place patients at risk for atypical infections; yet physicians should recognise that even chronic low-dose therapies can put patients at risk for fungal infections. Physicians should consider fungal infections as part of the infectious investigation of a lymphopaenic patient on PEP-C.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use , Cryptococcus neoformans , Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/drug therapy , Meningitis, Cryptococcal/etiology , Osteomyelitis/etiology , Aged , Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/adverse effects , Cyclophosphamide/administration & dosage , Etoposide/administration & dosage , Humans , Male , Meningitis, Cryptococcal/drug therapy , Osteomyelitis/drug therapy , Osteomyelitis/microbiology , Prednisone/administration & dosage , Procarbazine/administration & dosageABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Myelodysplasia is a frequent consequence of HIV infection, but acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is rare. Clinical presentations and outcomes of patients with HIV and subsequent AML are reviewed. METHODS: Five HIV-infected individuals who were subsequently diagnosed with AML were evaluated and treated. A further 42 cases of AML among patients with antecedent HIV infection were identified using MEDLINE, AIDSLINE, and CancerLit searches. RESULTS: HIV infection was present for a median of 48 months (71-180) before AML was diagnosed and the median reported CD4 cell count was 210 x 106 cells/l. In five instances, a delay in diagnosis occurred when cytopenias were initially attributed to HIV or zidovudine-based therapy. In 45 patients, diagnosis was according to the French-American-British (FAB) leukemia classification schema and in two the FAB type was not specified. M2 (n = 15) and M4 (n = 14) subtypes represented 64% (29/45) of reported cases. Patients with a CD4 cell count < 200 x 106 cells/l (n = 11) had a median survival time of 7 weeks, while patients with a CD4 cell count >or= 200 x 106 cells/l (n = 7) had a median survival of 7 months (P = 0.005). Although long-lasting chemotherapy-induced responses were rare, the majority of treated patients did achieve complete hematologic remissions. Treatment-related morbidity did not appear to be excessive. CONCLUSION: In the absence of randomized and prospective clinical studies to guide decision making, this analysis indicates that induction chemotherapy may be a reasonable option for selected HIV-infected patients with AML and adequate immune function.