Background: Multicentric Castleman's disease (MCD) is a pre-malignancy that presents with lymphadenopathy and features of systemic inflammation. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated MCD is associated with human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) infection. If untreated MCD has a relapsing and remitting course that is eventually fatal.
Case presentation: A 67-year-old man had six hospital admissions over 20 months characterised by fever, urinary frequency and CRP >100 mg/L. The final admission was complicated by hypotension requiring intensive care unit admission and ionotropic support. His history included HIV and Hepatitis B virus (HBV) co-infection on suppressive therapy. Each presentation was managed as presumed urosepsis with use of empirical antibiotics, however numerous blood and urine cultures failed to identify a pathogen. A bone-marrow aspirate and trephine found no evidence of haematological malignancy. A positron emission tomography scan found active lymph nodes, one of which was biopsied and found to contain the plasma-cell variant of Castleman's disease. Ultimately the cause for the recurrent presentations was attributed to progressive MCD. The patient received rituximab monotherapy and has had no further related admissions.
Conclusions: MCD should be considered in patients with chronic HIV infection presenting with recurrent sepsis-like episodes and/or vasodilatory shock, particularly if no pathogen is identified or lymphadenopathy is evident.