Very late onset post-transplant diffuse large B cell lymphoma in a liver transplant recipient with hepatitis B: A case report.

BACKGROUND

Post transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a rare but severe complication. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is considered an important pathogen for PTLD and EBV deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) load is widely monitored to detect PTLD early. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is rarely reported to be related with PTLD. We report a case of EBV negative (EBV), HBV positive (HBV) diffuse large B cell lymphoma in a patient 12 years after liver transplantation.

UNASSIGNED

A 52-year-old man complained of worsening appetite, abdominal distension, and pruritus. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) detected a huge retroperitoneal mass and pathology of the fine needle biopsy established the diagnosis of diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Virology showed active hepatitis B viral duplication and EBV DNA was negative.

METHODS

Treatment modalities for this patient included: reduction and subsequent cessation of immunosuppression; antiviral therapy for HBV with entecavir and adefovir; conventional chemotherapy consisting of cyclophosphamide, epirubicin, vindesine, and prednisone, followed by radiotherapy. He achieved complete remission (CR) and was kept on entecavir treatment afterwards.

RESULTS

He has been in remission for 2 years.

CONCLUSIONS

HBV infection might have played some role in this very late onset EBV PTLD patient. Therefore, HBV serology and HBV load should be monitored during the follow-up of HBV surface antigen positive (HBsAg) transplant recipients and life-long antiviral therapy is required.