Prognostic Value of Semi-Quantitative 18F-FDG PET/CT Parameters in Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Objective:To assess the prognostic value of maximum standardized uptake value(SUVmax),metabolic tumor volume(MTV),and total lesion glycolysis(TLG)determined by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography(18F-FDG PET/CT)imaging in Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients.Methods:A total of 148 Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients diagnosed with lymph node biopsy from October 2014 to October 2015 were retrospectively analyzed followed by categorizing into good(125 cases)and poor(23 cases)prognosis groups.The chi-squared test was used to analyze the clinicopathological characteristics of Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients with the semi-quantitative 18F-FDG PET/CT parameters;the Spearman method was used to analyze the correlation between the semi-quantitative parameters and clinicopathological features of Hodgkin’s lymphoma;receiver operating characteristic curve was used to analyze the predictive value of the semi-quantitative parameters for poor prognosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients.Results:Mean SUVmax,MTV,and TLG of the 148 cases of Hodgkin’s lymphoma were 7.26±2.38,12.46±3.14 cm3,and 76.83±18.56 g,respectively.Significant variations in the Ann Arbor stage and clinical classification were observed with different levels of semi-quantitative parameters(P<0.05).The semi-quantitative parameters were not correlated with age and gender(P>0.05)but positively correlated with Ann Arbor stage and clinical classification(P<0.05).These parameters in the poor prognosis group were higher than those in the good prognosis group(P<0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of SUVmax,MTV,and TLG in predicting the poor prognosis group was 0.881,0.875,and 0.838,with cut-off values of 7.264,12.898 cm3,and 74.580g,as well as specificity of 88.8%,84.0%,and 78.4%,and sensitivity of 87.0%,87.0%,and 78.3%,respectively;the AUC of the combined prediction was 0.986,with a specificity of 97.6%and sensitivity of 86.3%.Conclusion:The semi-quantitative 18F-FDG PET/CT parameters provide valuable insights for Hodgkin’s lymphoma prognosis assessment.

Hepatitis B surface antigen seroconversion after HBV reactivation in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Reactivation of hepatitis B virus(HBV)can occur in lymphoma patients infected with HBV when they receive chemotherapy or immunotherapy.Prophylactic administration of lamivudine(LAM)reduces the morbidity and mortality associated with HBV reactivation.However,what defines HBV reactivation and the optimal duration of treatment with LAM have not yet been clearly established.HBV reactivation may occur due to the cessation of prophylactic LAM,although re-treatment with nucleoside analogs may sometimes result in hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg)seroconversion,which is a satisfactory endpoint for the management of HBV infection.We report a case of HBV reactivation in a 68-year-old HBsAg-positive patient who received rituximab-based immunochemotherapy for follicular lymphoma.HBV reactivation developed following cessation of prophylactic LAM therapy.The patient subsequently received treatment with entecavir(ETV),which led to a rapid and sustained suppression of HBV replication and HBsAg seroconversion.We also appraised the literature concerning HBV reactivation and the role of ETV in the management of HBV reactivation in lymphoma patients.A total of 28 cases of HBV reactivation have been reported as having been treated with ETV during or after immunosuppressive chemotherapy in lymphoma patients.We conclude that ETV is an efficacious and safe treatment for HBV reactivation following LAM cessation in lymphoma patients treated with rituximab-based immunochemotherapy.

Hepatitis C virus-associated B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

The hepatitis C virus(HCV) infected patients are prone to develop bone marrow or various tissue infiltrates with monoclonal B cells, monoclonal B lymphocytosis or different types of B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(BCNHL), of which the most common are splenic marginal zone BCNHL, diffuse large BCNHL and follicular lymphoma. The association between chronic HCV infection and non Hodgkin's lymphoma has been observed especially in areas with high prevalence of this viral infection. Outside the limitations of some studies that have been conducted, there are also geographic, environmental, and genetic factors that contribute to the epidemiological differences. Various microenvironmental signals, such as cytokines, viral antigenic external stimulation of lymphocyte receptors by HCV antigens, and intercellular interactions contribute to B cell proliferation. HCV lymphotropism and chronic antigenic stimulation are involved in B-lymphocyte expansion, as mixted cryoglobulinemia or monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, which can progress to BCNHL. HCV replication in B lymphocytes has oncogenic effect mediated by intracellular HCV proteins. It is also involved in an important induction of reactive oxygen species that can lead to permanent B lymphocyte damage, as DNA mutations, after binding to surface B-cell receptors. Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder could appear and it has a multiclonal potentiality that may develop into different types of lymphomas. The hematopoietic stem cell transplant made for lymphoma in HCV-infected patients can increase the risk of earlier progression to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. HCV infected patients with indolent BCNHL who receive antiviral therapy can be potentially cured. Viral clearance was related to lymphoma response, fact that highlights the probable involvement of HCV in lymphomagenesis. Direct acting antiviral drugs could be a solution for the patients who did not tolerate or respond to interferon, as they seem to be safe and highly effective. The use of chemotherapy in combination with rituximab for the treatment of BCNHL in patients infected with HCV can produce liver dysfunction. The addition of immunotherapy with rituximab can increase the viral replication, and severe complications can occure especially in patients co-infected with hepatitis B virus or immune immunodeficiency virus, in those with hepatocarcinoma,cirrhosis, or liver cytolysis. But the final result of standard immunochemotherapy applied to diffuse large BCNHL patients with HCV infection is not notably worse than in those without this viral infection. The treatment of patients chronically infected with HCV and having BCNHL is complex and requires a multidisciplinary approach and the risk / benefit ratio of rituximab treatment must be evaluated especially in those with liver cytolysis.

Low Dose Total Body Irradiation for Relapsed Low Grade Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: Experience of National Cancer Institute, Cairo

Background and Purpose: The relapsed low grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (LG-NHL) is currently?incurable disease and the optimal treatment regimen has not determined yet. Low dose total body irradiation (LTBI) provides an alternative mechanism of action against cancer cells rather than direct cell kill. The mode of action of LTBI is immune-modulatory effect, induction of apoptosis and?hypersensitivity to low radiation doses. The aim of our study is to evaluate the effect of LTBI on relapsed?LG-NHL and reporting our experience at National Cancer Institute, Cairo (NCI, Cairo). Material and Methods: Fifty eight patients with relapsed LG-NHL and received LTBI studied retrospectively.?LTBI dose was 1.6 Gy/8 fractions divided on 2 courses;each course 4 fractions treated over 4 days with 2 weeks rest between the 2 courses. Results: The median age is 54 years;65% of the patients are men. Forty (69%) patients had performance status of 2 or more. Twenty seven patients were stage II/III and 31 patients (53%) had stage IV disease. Twenty six (45%) patients had bulky disease more than 10 cm and 22 (38%) patients had B symptoms at the time of relapse. The?extranodal disease was present in 17 patients (29%) and 78% of the patients received?>3 regimens of chemotherapy before referral to LTBI. Twenty three patients received IFRT (mean dose 32 ± 4 Gy) to initially bulky sites after LTBI. Fourteen patients (24%) achieved complete remission (CR) while 45%, 21% and 10% had partial remission (PR), stable disease (SD) and progressive disease (PD) respectively. The median PFS duration was 14 months and the median OS duration?was 39 months. Stage VI,?>3 regimen of chemotherapy and bad response to LTBI (SD) affected?progression duration adversely (0.03, 0.05 and 0.01 respectively). The response to LTBI is the only factor affected the OS duration significantly. The 3-year PFS was 19% ± 9%, and 3-year OS was 45% ± 8%. Stage IV was the only factor affected the 3-year PFS significantly with p value 0.03. The hematological toxicity was the main side effect of LTBI. Eleven patients developed G3/4 anemia while 8 patients only developed G3/4 thrombocytopenia and 13 patients developed G3/4 leucopenia. Conclusion: The use of LTBI in patients with relapsed low grade NHL is a feasible, effective and tolerable treatment that is worthy of testing in a future with chemotherapy and Rituximab maintenance.

Composite diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and classical Hodgkin's lymphoma of the stomach:Case report and literature review

The combination of classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma(cHL)and non-Hodgkin lymphoma coexisting in the same patient is not common,especially in one extranodal location.Here we present a rare case of composite diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL)and cHL occurring simultaneously in the stomach of a 53-year-old female who presented with upper abdominal discomfort and gas pain.Surgery was performed and the disease was diagnosed pathologically as composite lymphoma of DLBCL and cHL using hematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemical staining.Epstein-Barr virus(EBV)infection was not detected by in situ hybridization for EBV-encoded RNA or immunohistochemistry for EBV latent membrane protein-1.Polymerase chain reaction analysis from the two distinct components of the tumor demonstrated clonal immunoglobulinκlight chain gene rearrangements.The patient died approximately 11 mo after diagnosis in spite of receiving eight courses of the CHOP and two courses of the rituximab-CHOP(RCHOP) chemotherapy regimen.This case report showed that the two distinct components,DLBCL and cHL,appeared to originate from the same clonal progenitor cell,and that EBV infection was not essential for transformation during the course of tumorigenesis.

Sternal Hodgkin’s lymphoma: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Sternal tumors are difficult to diagnose, and usually need to be differentiated from other diseases such as tuberculosis, osteosarcoma, intrathoracic thyroid and thymoma. The sternum is a rare site of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis on routine histopathology.CASE SUMMARY We reported a 47-year-old female patient with chest pain in the upper sternum for 1 mo. Chest computed tomography found a mass in the upper sternum.Pathology and immunohistochemistry of the biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of typical Hodgkin’s lymphoma(mixed cellularity subtype). Patient was diagnosed with primary sternal Hodgkin’s lymphoma and administered 6 cycles of adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine chemotherapy. Patient had no tumor recurrence and progression at a follow-up visit 2 years later.CONCLUSION This study highlights the rarity of primary sternal Hodgkin’s lymphoma and the challenges of its diagnosis. A Pub Med and Web of Science search revealed 10 reported cases of sternal involvement in Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Hodgkin's lymphoma coexisting with liver failure secondary to acute on chronic hepatitis B

Acute on chronic liver failure(ACLF) is rarely the initial manifestation of a malignant process or precipitated by the initiation of anti-viral treatment with a nucleoside or nucleotide agent. We report an unusual case of ACLF temporally associated with initiation of Entecavir for treatment of chronic hepatitis B. Early Hodgkin's lymphoma(HL) was unmasked with initiation of the antiviral treatment which may have exacerbated ACLF. To the best of our knowledge, this has not been described in the literature. In reviewing our patients clinical course and liver autopsy, he developed a severe acute exacerbation of his chronic hepatitis B virus coinciding with the institution of antiviral therapy and the underlying HL perhaps modulating the overall degree of hepatic injury.

Metachronous mixed cellularity classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma and T-cell leukemia/lymphoma: A case report

BACKGROUND The development of peripheral T-cell lymphoma(PTCL)after chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s lymphoma(HL)is rare,and highly aggressive TCL/leukemia has not been reported to date.The relationship between HL and PTCL needs further exploration to understand the pathogenesis of metachronous lymphoma(ML)and find effective treatment options.We report a patient with ML,whose biopsy of a right cervical lymph node initially confirmed classical HL(CHL).CASE SUMMARY We report a patient with ML,whose biopsy of a right cervical lymph node initially confirmed CHL,with typical reed–sternberg cells expressing CD30 and PAX-5.T-cell leukemia/lymphoma occurred 3 years after treatment,and a lymph node biopsy at the onset confirmed PTCL,nonspecific type,expressing CD3,CD4 and CD8.The patient was treated with standard doses of chemotherapy,programmed cell death-ligand 1 monoclonal antibody,and chidamide,all of which failed to achieve complete remission.The patient was diagnosed with refractory state,and eventually died of leukocyte stasis.CONCLUSION The accuracy of the diagnosis needs to be confirmed when chemotherapeutic drugs are not effective.

Vanishing bile duct syndrome in Hodgkin's lymphoma: A case report and literature review

Vanishing bile duct syndrome(VBDS) has been described in different pathologic conditions including infection, ischemia, adverse drug reactions, autoimmune diseases, allograft rejection, and humoral factors associated with malignancy. It is an acquired condition characterized by progressive destruction and loss of the intra-hepatic bile ducts leading to cholestasis. Prognosis is variable and partially dependent upon the etiology of bile duct injury. Irreversible bile duct loss leads to significant ductopenia, biliary cirrhosis, liver failure, and death. If biliary epithelial regeneration occurs, clinical recovery may occur over a period of months to years. VBDS has been described in a number of cases of patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma(HL) where it is thought to be a paraneoplastic phenomenon. This case describes a 25-year-old man found on liver biopsy to have VBDS. Given poor response to medical treatment, the patient underwent transplant evaluation at that time and was found to have classical stage ⅡB HL. Early recognition of this underlying cause or association of VBDS, including laboratory screening, and physical exam for lymphadenopathy are paramount to identifying potential underlying VBDS-associated malignancy. Here we review the literature of HL-associated VBDS and report a case of diagnosed HL with biopsy proven VBDS.

Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia associated with Hodgkin's lymphoma:a case report

Waldenstrom＇s macroglobulinemia/lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma （WM/LPL） is a low-grade B-cell non- Hodgkin＇s lymphoma with an indolent clinical course. Higher-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma （NHL） and therapy- related myelodysplasia/acute leukemia （t-MDS/AML） have been reported in patients with WM/LPL in previous studies. However, only two cases with WM/LPL were reported to develop to Hodgkin lymphoma （HL）. Here, we report the first case of WM/LPL who developed classical HL simultaneously 3 years after initial nucleoside analog-based chemotherapy.

Comparison of Dose-dense ABVD and Standard ABVD in the Treatment of Early Unfavorable and Advanced Hodgkin's Lymphoma: A Retrospective Analysis

This retrospective analysis compared standard regimen of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vin- blastine, and dacarbazine （ABVD） with the dose-dense ABVD regimen （ABVD-21） in terms of effi- cacy and toxicity. Patients who had early-stage unfavorable or advanced Hodgkin＇s lymphoma （HL） according to German Hodgkin Study Group criteria from March 1999 to February 2011 were ana- lyzed for treatment response, long-term survival and hematological toxicity. There were 85 patients in the ABVD-21 group and 118 patients in the ABVD group respectively. The complete remission rates aider completion of treatment were 92.9% and 90.7% for ABVD-21 and ABVD, respectively. During a median follow-up period of 62 months, no significant difference was found in projected 10-year progression-free survival （PFS） and overall survival （OS） rates （84.7% and 94.1% respectively for ABVD-21; 81.4% and 91.5% for ABVD）. Subgroup analyses showed that ABVD-21 was signifi- cantly better than ABVD for patients with IPS〉3 in terms of PFS and OS rates. Grade 3 to 4 leuko- penia （51.8% vs. 28.8%, P=0.001） and neutropenia （57.6% vs. 39.0%, P=0.009） were more common with ABVD-21. We were led to conclude that dose-dense ABVD did not result in better tumor con- trol and overall survival than did ABVD for early-stage unfavorable HL. However, patients at high risk, for example, with IPS〉3, may benefit from dose-dense ABVD.

HIGH DOSE CHEMORADIOTHERAPY WITH AUTOLOGOUS HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION IN THE TREATMENT OF ADVANCED HODGKIN's LYMPHOMA:A REPORT OF 11 CASES

Objective: High dose therapy (HDT) with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has become one of the important salvage treatments for the Hodgkin抯 Lymphoma patients with relapsed or resistant disease, but its role as the primary treatment remains indefinite. This study was designed to further evaluate its status in the combined modality treatment, especially, to discuss its value in the primary treatment of the patients who had advanced disease with poor prognostic factors. Methods: Eleven patients who had advanced or relapsed disease with poor prognostic factors were enrolled in this study. Among them, 9 cases had primary treatment, and 2 cases had secondary treatment; one patient received autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT), and 10 patients received autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (APBSCT). After induction treatment 4 cases achieved complete response (CR) and 7 cases achieved partial response (PR). High dose chemotherapy combined with total body irradiation (TBI) or total lymph node irradiation (TLI)/subtotal lymph node irradiation (STLI) were adopted in 7 cases and only high dose chemotherapy were adopted in 4 cases as the transplant preparative regimens. 5 cases received complementary irradiation in the primary sites after transplant. Results: The patients who had CR before transplantation were given consolidative therapy. Among the rest with PR, 2 cases achieved CR, 1 case PR, and 4 cases SD. Furthermore all these patients who maintained SD had bone involvement. With a median follow-up for all patients of 13(1-80) months, all of them are alive currently. Four cases are event-free survival (EFS); 4 cases with bone involvement are progression-free survival (PFS); 3 cases experienced relapse after transplant, one of them is EFS for 42 months again after a local relapsed site irradiation; the other two cases are being given further salvaged treatment now. According to the Life Tables method, the cumulative probability of 6-year PFS and OS is 55.68% and 100% respectively. The dominating transplant- related toxicity was bone marrow suppression in grades IV. No obvious cardiac, hepatic, and nephritic toxicity was found. No transplant related mortality. Conclusion: HDT combined with ASCT is a method worthwhile to further study for the treatment of the patients with advanced or relapsed Hodgkin抯 Lymphoma with poor prognostic factors.

Rejection of Experimental Hodgkins Lymphoma by T-Cells Engineered with a CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor

T cells engineered to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) combining an external antibody binding domain with the CD3ζ T cell receptor (TCR) signaling domain for triggering cell activation are being used for immunotherapeutic targeting of tumor cells in a non-HLA restricted manner. In this study we transduced T cells with a CD19-CAR construct containing a truncated CD34 gene (tCD34) marker and used these to target the B cell antigen CD19 on the surface of a Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) cell line (L591) both in vitro and in vivo. Levels of tCD34 expression in transduced peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) ranged from 6% - 20% and this was increased to 82% after selection for transduced tCD34+ cells. In vitro cytotoxicity testing on a CD19+ HL cell line (L591) showed specific cell lysis initiated by the CD19-CAR transduced PBMCs. Importantly, CD19-CAR T cells prevented the growth of L591 HL tumor cells when co-injected subcutaneously (sc) in 6/6 severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. There was no evidence of anti-tumor activity when CD19-CAR T cells were infused intravenously (iv) at the same time as L591 HL tumor cells were injected sc. However, 3/6 SCID mice showed tumor rejection within 83 days after iv infusion of CD19-CAR T cells 3 - 9 days after establishment of L591 HL tumors, while all control animals succumbed to tumors within 60 days. Interestingly, immuno-histochemical analysis of L591 HL tumors demonstrated that CD19-CAR T cells were detected not earlier than 11 days after infusion within the tumor mass. These results suggest that CD19 is a potentially attractive target for the immunotherapy of HL.

Post Liver Transplantation Lympho Proliferative Disorder, Classical Hodgkins Lymphoma Type—A Case Report

Post transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder is a lymphoid/plasmacytic proliferation that develops as a consequence of immunosuppression in a recipient of a solid organ/bone marrow/stem cell allograft. The incidence reported in literature in post liver transplant patients is 1% - 2%. This case was of a 16-year-old boy who underwent liver transplantation for fulminant hepatic failure and subsequently developed PTLD. Morphologically and immunohistochemically, it was Hodgkin’s lymphoma like PTLD, which was the least common type reported in literature.

Involved Nodal Radiotherapy vs. Involved Field Radiotherapy after Chemotherapy in the Treatment of Early Stage Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Aim of work: This study is a prospective randomized trial aiming to investigate whether radiotherapy volume can be reduced without loss of efficacy from involved field radiotherapy (IFRT) to involved node radiotherapy (INRT) after four cycles of ABVD chemotherapy in the treatment of early stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Patients and Methods: Between September 2009 and January 2012, all patients with newly diagnosed early-stage favorable and unfavorable Hodgkin’s lymphoma attending to the Clinical Oncology department of Cairo University, faculty of medicine were enrolled into this study after a written consent was obtained from those cases enrolled. Patients were assigned to receive (ABVD) for four cycles followed by randomization for radiotherapy into two arms one arm of 30 Gy INRT +/– 6 Gy to residual disease or another arm of 30 Gy IFRT +/– 6 Gy to residual disease. Results: 35 patients were enrolled in this study: 16 patients in the INRT arm and 19 patients in the IFRT arm. The median observation time was 25 months. The overall survival for all eligible patients was 97% and freedom from treatment failure was 85.7%. Survival rates at the end of the study revealed no differences between INRT and IFRT arms. Also, in terms of complete remission post radiotherapy (14 versus 15), relapse (1 versus 4), and death (0 versus 1) respectively the outcome was similar in both arms. As regard acute and sub-acute toxicities no significant difference could be detected between both arms except that IFRT arm was associated with a higher incidence of radiation pneumonitis (4 versus 1 patient). Conclusion: Radiotherapy volume size reduction from IFRT to INRT after ABVD chemotherapy for four cycles produces similar results and less toxicity in patients with early-stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma especially in patients with mediastinal disease.

Epstein Bar Virus——The Cause of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Objective: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a herpes virus which persists in memory B cells in the peripheral blood for the lifetime of a person, is accused to be associated with several malignancies. Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) has long been suspected to have an Epstein-Barr virus infection as a causal agent. Some recent studies identified an EBV latent infection to a high degree in Hodgkin’s lymphoma. However, despite intensive study, the role of Epstein-Barr virus infection in Hodgkin lymphoma remains enigmatic. Methods: To explore the cause-effect relationship between EBV and HL and so to understand the role of EBV in HL etiology more clearly, a systematic review and re-analysis of studies published is performed. The method of the conditio per quam relationship was used to proof the hypothesis if Epstein-Barr virus infection (DNA) in human lymph nodes is present then Hodgkin lymphoma is present too. The mathematical formula of the causal relationship k was used to proof the hypothesis, whether there is a cause effect relationship between an Epstein-Barr virus infection (EBV DNA) and Hodgkin lymphoma. Significance was indicated by a p-value of less than 0.05. Result: The data analyzed support the Null-hypotheses that if Epstein-Barr virus infection (EBV DNA) is present in human lymph nodes then Hodgkin lymphoma is present too. In the same respect, the studies analyzed provide highly significant evidence that Epstein-Barr virus the cause of Hodgkin lymphoma. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that Epstein-Barr virus is the cause of Hodgkin’s lymphoma besides of the complexity of Hodgkin’s disease.

Clinical study of chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma

BACKGROUND Chemotherapy for malignant tumors can cause brain changes and cognitive impairment,leading to chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment(CICI).Current research on CICI has focused on breast cancer and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.Whether patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma(NHL)undergoing chemo-therapy have cognitive impairment has not been fully investigated.therapy have cognitive impairment has not been fully investigated.AIM To investigate whether NHL patients undergoing chemotherapy had cognitive impairments.METHODS The study included 100 NHL patients who were required to complete a compre-hensive psychological scale including the Brief Psychiatric Examination Scale(MMSE)at two time points:before chemotherapy and within 2 wk of two chemo-therapy courses.A language proficiency test(VFT),Symbol Number Pattern Test(SDMT),Clock Drawing Test(CDT),Abbreviated Daily Cognition Scale(ECog-12),Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire,and Karnofsky Perfor-mance Status were used to assess cognitive changes before and after chemo-therapy.RESULTS The VFT scores for before treatment(BT)and after treatment(AT)groups were 45.20±15.62,and 42.30±17.53,respectively(t-2.16,P<0.05).The CDT scores were 8(3.5-9.25)for BT and 7(2.5-9)for AT groups(Z-2.1,P<0.05).Retrospective memory scores were 13.5(9-17)for BT and 15(13-18)for AT(Z-3.7,P<0.01).The prospective memory scores were 12.63±3.61 for BT and 14.43±4.32 for AT groups(t-4.97,P<0.01).The ECog-12 scores were 1.71(1.25-2.08)for BT and 1.79(1.42-2.08)for AT groups(Z-2.84,P<0.01).The SDMT and MMSE values did not show a significant difference between BT and AT groups.CONCLUSION Compared to the AT group,the BT group showed impaired language,memory,and subjective cognition,but objec-tive cognition and execution were not significantly affected.

Infiltrative cardiac lymphoma with tricuspid valve involvement in a young man

Cardiac metastases are among the topics with limited systematic reviews.Theoretically,the heart can be infiltrated by any malignancy with the ability to spread to distant structures.Thus far,no specific tumors are known to have a predilection for the heart,but some do metastasize more often than others,for example,melanoma and primary mediastinal tumors.We report a case of cardiac metastasis from a diffuse large B cell lymphoma in a young man.The peculiarity of this case is that besides the involvement of right ventricle and atrium,the tricuspid valve was also infiltrated.Valvular metastasis is rarely reported in the medical literature.

Rare case of sclerosing mesenteritis and low grade follicular lymphoma

An unusual case of long standing sclerosing mesenteritis;initially presented with recurrent abdominal pain and a mesenteric mass with surrounding fat oedema and stranding with a pseudocapsule and fat ring sign were clearly visualised on the initial computed tomography scan.Laparotomy showed diffuse thickening at the root of the mesentery and histology from this specimen revealed fat necrosis and reactive lymphoid tissue consistent with sclerosing mesenteritis.Initial treatment with steroids and tamoxifen relieved the symptoms and the mass.He was maintained on tamoxifen.Three years later he developed a recurrence of his symptoms and abdominal mass that responded to a course of steroids.Two years following this,he developed a follicular Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Lymphoma in Two Siblings: A Plausible Case of Familial Lymphoma?

We repot two cases of lymphoma manifesting in siblings, one is Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) and the other is Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) in a nuclear family. Each presented a year apart. The patients were well and alive as at the time of this report and did not show any signs of the disease. There was no history of tuberculosis (TB) or contact with any one with TB. Other common lymphadenopathy associated conditions were excluded and histology of excised lymph nodes was confirmatory of the lymphomas. We were constrained by facilities on the demonstration of Ebstein Barr Viruses (EBV) or genetic associations. This is the first plausible case of reported familial lymphoma in Nigeria.