Rituximab Monotherapy in the Management of a Rare Case of an HIV Associated Lymphoproliferative Disorder
Background. Castleman’s disease (CD), also known as angiofollicular node hyperplasia, is a rare heterogenous lymphoproliferative disorder. This disease exists as two distinct entities: a localized or unicentric CD (UCD) which has a more benign clinical course and multicentric CD (MCD) which is a sys...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Hindawi Limited
2017-01-01
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| Series: | Case Reports in Oncological Medicine |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/5235163 |
| Summary: | Background. Castleman’s disease (CD), also known as angiofollicular node hyperplasia, is a rare heterogenous lymphoproliferative disorder. This disease exists as two distinct entities: a localized or unicentric CD (UCD) which has a more benign clinical course and multicentric CD (MCD) which is a systemic disease and carries a worse prognosis. MCD is often associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and these patients are usually coinfected with human herpes virus-8 (HHV-8). Rituximab is an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody that has become integral to the management of this disease. It is used alone or in combination with chemotherapy to treat MCD. Case Report. We describe a case of a 58-year-old man with HIV and HHV-8 MCD and evidence of organ failure with a poor performance status that went into complete remission after four cycles of therapy with weekly rituximab. Conclusion. HIV-MCD can be challenging to diagnose and to manage. Early recognition can reduce morbidity and mortality associated with the disease. Rituximab monotherapy can be used as a safe and effective treatment option in patients with a poor performance status. |
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| ISSN: | 2090-6706 2090-6714 |