Nivolumab-induced pneumonitis and cardiopathy in a patient with relapsed Hodgkin's lymphoma.

INTRODUCTION: Nivolumab, the monoclonal antibody inhibitor of programmed cell death protein 1, enhances the T-cell response, including anti-tumour responses, by blocking the attachment of programmed death-ligand 1 and programmed death-ligand 2 ligands to the programmed cell death protein 1 receptor, which in turn leads to a reduction in tumour growth. Nivolumab has been approved in relapsed or refractory classic Hodgkin's lymphoma after autologous transplantation of haematopoietic stem cell and treatment with brentuximab as monotherapy. CASE REPORT: We herewith report a case of 65-year-old woman who developed an interstitial pneumonitis and a global cardiac hypokinesis following a treatment with Nivolumab for a refractory Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Nivolumab was administered as the fifth line of therapy. Some concomitant patient treatments include drug with known autoimmune toxicities. Although the patient had a persistent complete remission following the sixth infusion, it was discontinued as she developed dyspnea of NYHA stage IV and orthopnea. The chest tomography revealed a bilateral micronodular pattern of organizing pneumonia with bilateral pleural effusion. The forced expiratory volume was decreased to 50%. In parallel her transthoracic echocardiography revealed a global hypokinesis with a left ventricular ejection fraction of 20%. MANAGEMENT AND OUTCOME: The patient was treated with empiric antibiotics although the microbial assessments were negative. She was also treated with beta-blocker and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. The cardiac magnetic resonance imaging performed after 4 months confirmed the hypokinetic cardiopathy with an ejection fraction of 48%. The patient had a significant clinical improvement. The tomography emission positron scan conducted 8 months after interruption of Nivolumab showed complete remission with some moderate activation of residual lesion basal posterior lobe of left lung field. DISCUSSION: Early and effective diagnosis of immune-related adverse events through the search for predictive biomarkers like drug factors and individual risk factors will allow targeted surveillance leading to a better tolerance.

Ventricular tachycardia reveals cardiac infiltration due to mediastinal lymphoma.

A 61-year-old man was referred to us for palpitations and ventricular tachycardia. After being treated by chemotherapy for a mediastinum lymphoplasmocytic lymphoma, a ventricular tachycardia (VT) occurred. It was well tolerated. Several imaging techniques showed that this VT was related to a tumoural infiltration of the anterior part of the right ventricle by the lymphoma. Ventricular arrhythmias were controlled under antiarrhythmic drugs and chemotherapy was continued, with close cardiac follow-up. Complete remission was reached with restoration of a normal right ventricular function and resolution of the ventricular arrhythmias.