Persistent Infection of Drug-resistant Influenza A Virus during Chemotherapy for Malignant Lymphoma.

We herein report the case of an 80-year-old man with malignant lymphoma who became persistently infected with influenza A virus. Although he was repeatedly treated with NA inhibitors, such as oseltamivir or peramivir, nasal cavity swab tests for influenza A antigen continued to be positive for more than 2 months. Virological analyses revealed that he was infected with the NA inhibitor-resistant A (H3N2) virus possessing an R292K substitution in the NA protein. These findings suggest that a drug-resistant influenza virus strain might selectively survive antiviral therapy in elderly patients with refractory malignant lymphoma undergoing multiple chemotherapies.

Development of primary central nervous system lymphoma associated with human immunodeficiency virus and JC virus infection.

We report here a case of a 37-year-old man with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection followed by JC virus (JCV) infection and primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). The patient had been infected with HIV type 1 due to blood products for hemophilia A during infancy. He had progression of nervous symptoms and was diagnosed with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) clinically at the age of 36, when his CD4-positive lymphocyte counts ranged between 350 and 450/µl. Oral mefloquine, intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy, and intravenous immunoglobulin were not effective for the PML, and the patient entered a vegetative state. Brain biopsy revealed JCV infection without pathological findings of PML. Eight months after the clinical diagnosis of PML, he developed respiratory failure and brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mass lesion in the brain stem. The patient died 19 months after the diagnosis of PML. Autopsy findings were compatible with PCNSL. EBV-encoded small RNA-1-positive cells were not detected. We present a case of JCV-positive PCNSL with HIV infection complicated with clinical PML.

Tumor lysis syndrome in a chronic lymphocytic leukemia patient with pleural effusion after oral fludarabine and cyclophosphamide therapy.

Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is a rare complication of the treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Since the advent of new therapeutic agents with higher response rates, however, TLS has been observed with increasing frequency. An 84-year-old woman with a nine-year history of untreated CLL presented with exacerbating dyspnea due to pleural effusion. CLL cells without Richter transformation were observed in the pleural effusion at a high concentration, as well as in lymph nodes and bone marrow. After 5 days of oral fludarabine and cyclophosphamide (FC) therapy, the patient developed TLS, which necessitated rescue with hemodialysis. Although transient exacerbation of pleurisy occurred, the effusion cytology ameliorated, and she eventually achieved complete remission after additional two courses of FC and rituximab. Sequestration of fludarabine in the pleural effusion may be attributable to the development of TLS.