Intravascular lymphoma presenting as symmetric polyarthritis

Arthritis Rheum. 1998 Jun;41(6):1126-30. doi: 10.1002/1529-0131(199806)41:6<1126::AID-ART21>3.0.CO;2-Y.

Abstract

Intravascular lymphoma (IVL) is an uncommon neoplastic disorder characterized by monoclonal intravascular expansion of lymphoid cells. Occlusion of small vessels in various organ systems probably accounts for the broad clinical spectrum of this type of lymphoma, which can closely mimic a variety of diseases, especially vasculitic disorders, and thus lead to delayed clinical diagnosis. This is the first report of a patient who presented with a predominant symptom of symmetric polyarthritis accompanied by fever. While her initial systemic symptoms, such as fever, improved rapidly after initiation of corticosteroid therapy, the response of the polyarthritic joint manifestations was only transient. The patient died of progressive lung involvement and was diagnosed as having IVL by histologic analysis of tissue samples obtained postmortem.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones / therapeutic use
  • Adult
  • Arthritis / diagnosis*
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lymphoma / diagnosis*
  • Lymphoma / drug therapy
  • Lymphoma / pathology
  • Vascular Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Vascular Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Vascular Neoplasms / pathology

Substances

  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones