Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for intravascular large B-cell lymphoma: the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation experience

Characteristics of Renal Intravascular Large B-cell Lymphoma

Introduction

Renal intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a rare, aggressive B-cell lymphoma with neoplastic cells occupying the vascular lumina with only 53 patients reported to date. Here, we present the largest case series to characterize this rare disease.

Methods

We performed a multi-institutional, retrospective review of kidney biopsies and autopsies with a diagnosis of kidney IVLBCL and report our findings.

Results

We identified 20 patients with an average age of 65.7 ± 7.8 years (55% males) with IVLBCL on kidney biopsy. The most common clinical presentation was fever and anemia. Acute kidney injury (AKI) was noted in 70% to 90%, proteinuria in 70% to 84.1%, hematuria in 45%, and nephrotic-range proteinuria in 10% to 26.1% of cases. The median (interquartile range) of serum creatinine was 1.75 (1.14, 3.3) mg/dl. Neoplastic lymphoid cells were present in glomeruli, peritubular capillaries, and arteries or veins. Of the patients, 44.3% showed extrarenal infiltration into bone marrow, liver, spleen, central vervous system, lung and skin. Neoplastic cells express CD20, CD79a, PAX-5, and MUM1+, and were CD10-negative. Available follow-up data showed a median survival of 21 months after diagnosis. Extrarenal involvement is a significant and independent predictor of mortality with a hazard ratio of 4.975 (95% confidence interval:1.38, 17.88) after controlling for age and gender. Serum creatinine, age, sex, and infiltration of intrarenal arteries or veins did not affect survival.

Conclusion

Kidney IVLBCL is a rare disease that is unexpectedly diagnosed by kidney biopsy, presenting with fever, anemia, mild AKI, and proteinuria. Median survival is 21 months and extrarenal involvement is associated with worse outcome.

Hemophagocytic Syndrome-Associated Intravascular Large B-cell Lymphoma With Dialysis-Dependent End-Stage Renal Disease Treated With Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation Using a Modified TEAM Regimen

Due to the low incidence and the large number of postmortem diagnoses, treatment recommendations for intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) are largely based on retrospective studies and case reports. There is little data on autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in dialysis-dependent patients and choosing an adequate regimen and dosing is difficult. Here, we report the treatment of a patient with relapsed IVLBCL and end-stage renal disease caused by lymphoma-associated renal AA amyloidosis using a modified TEAM (thiotepa, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan) regimen and ASCT. A 42-year-old female had an early relapse of hemophagocytic syndrome-associated intravascular large B-cell lymphoma resulting in terminal renal disease with dialysis dependency. Because of comorbidities (AA amyloidosis with severe hypoalbuminemia and end-stage renal disease), a modified, dose-reduced TEAM regimen was used as a high-dose conditioning regimen based on clinical pharmacologic considerations. The patient developed grade three mucositis and grade four febrile neutropenia as adverse events after transplantation. A modified TEAM regimen is feasible in a patient with end-stage renal disease with manageable toxicity. This is the first report of treatment with thiotepa in a dialysis-dependent patient.

Sequential CAR T-Cell Therapy After Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation for the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Intravascular Large B-Cell Lymphoma With Central Nervous System Involvement: A Case Report

Background

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a rare, aggressive, large B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The prognosis of IVLBCL in patients with central nervous system recurrence after first-line chemotherapy treatment is extremely poor. Among immunotherapies, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunotherapy has been recently found to be a highly effective treatment for B-cell lymphoma, especially for relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. However, no guidelines are available that provide a clear consensus regarding the management of patients with relapsed/refractory IVLBCL. Here, we report, for the first time, the use of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and CAR T-cell therapy in a patient with relapsed/refractory IVLBCL.

Case Presentation

A 42‐year‐old woman was diagnosed with IVLBCL based on liver biopsy and developed central nervous system (CNS) progression. The patient received ASCT combined with murine monoclonal anti-CD19 and anti-CD22 CAR T-cell therapy. She achieved complete remission for 22 months so far with negative minimal residual disease and continues to be followed up.

Conclusion

ASCT combined with CAR T-cell therapy was the best choice for treatment of relapsed/refractory IVLBCL, as it allowed the achievement of a lasting complete remission.

CUTANEOUS B-CELL LYMPHOMAS: UPDATE ON DIAGNOSIS, RISK-STRATIFICATION, AND MANAGEMENT

PCBCLs are a group of Non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphomas originating in and usually confined to the skin, representing approximately one fourth of primary cutaneous lymphomas (PCL). Their current classification system has been the result of the joint World Health Organization (WHO) - European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) consensus in 2018. To date, several types of PCBCLs have been described in the scientific literature, with different clinical presentation and prognosis. Primary cutaneous follicle-center lymphoma (PCFCL) and primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma (PCMZL) are the most common forms, with a typical indolent course. On the contrary, primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, leg type (PCDLBCL, LT) is less common, yet more aggressive, with a reported 5-year overall survival of approximatively 50%. In this review, we outline the PCBCLs defining diagnostic criteria, report the features of the less common subtypes and summarize the noteworthy therapeutical options currently available in this field.

Intravascular Large B-Cell Lymphoma

CONTEXT.—

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a rare hematopathologic entity, posing both a clinical and histologic challenge for diagnosis. Numerous pitfalls can hinder making the diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE.—

To summarize recent developments in literature pertaining to IVLBCL and point out key pitfalls pathologists should be prepared to encounter.

DATA SOURCES.—

Literature review via PubMed search and hospital (Darnall Medical Library) resources.

CONCLUSIONS.—

The 3 primary pitfalls of IVLBCL include masking of IVLBCL, mimicry by IVLBCL, and mimicry of IVLBCL. These scenarios illustrate the importance of histologic pattern recognition and subsequent usage of immunohistochemistry, especially in context of a clinical history that may be noncharacteristic.

Hemophagocytic syndrome and neurological involvement in a case of intravascular large B-cell lymphoma

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a rare form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and is divided into Western and Asian variants. The latter is rarely found to have neurological system involvement. In China, there have only been a few diagnosed cases of IVLBCL. Here, we present a Chinese case of Asian-variant IVLBCL with neurological symptoms. A 32-year-old Chinese man presented with bilateral lower limb numbness and persistent fever. He also complained of difficulties in urination and defecation. In addition, splenomegaly and pancytopenia were observed. We identified 3% dysplastic lymphocytes in his peripheral blood film, and his bone marrow biopsy led to a diagnosis of Asian-variant IVLBCL. Lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging, which revealed an edematous spinal cord, further confirmed neurological involvement. The patient refused treatment from the time of diagnosis, and died 2 months after being discharged. IVLBCL is a highly aggressive but nonspecific clinical manifestation that is difficult to diagnose; therefore, a greater understanding of the disease is needed. The current first-line therapy involves R-CHOP combination therapy (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone, and rituximab); however, the overall prognosis of IVLBCL remains poor.

Episodic Visual Distortions and Stroke-Like Symptoms in a 56-Year-Old Man With Intravascular Lymphoma

A healthy 56-year-old man presented with vision changes and left upper extremity motor and sensory changes. MRI of the brain without contrast was significant for multifocal areas of restricted diffusion in multiple vascular territories. Neuro-Ophthalmic evaluation revealed an inferonasal visual field defect in the left eye, thickened choroid on optical coherence tomography, and bilateral delayed arteriovenous and choroidal filling on fluorescein angiogram. Repeat MRI demonstrated interval enlargement of many of the same foci of abnormal diffusion-weighted imaging signal. Computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis revealed 3 distinct lobulated retroperitoneal masses that were biopsied and found to be consistent with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Brain biopsy specimens showed intravascular lymphocytes, confirming a diagnosis of intravascular lymphoma (IVL). In this diagnostically challenging case, a link was established between the presence of multiple strokes (some of which showed slow evolution over time) and retinochoroidal hypoperfusion, which provided a critical clue to the ultimate diagnosis of IVL.

Asian variant of intravascular large B-cell lymphoma: a comparison of clinical features based on involvement of the central nervous system

BACKGROUND/AIMS

There are limited data about the influence of the central nervous system (CNS) involvement on the prognosis for patients with the Asian variant of intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL).

METHODS

We analyzed 46 patients who were diagnosed with IVLBCL between 2001 and 2018. All patients were treated with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP).

RESULTS

CNS involvement was diagnosed by cerebrospinal fluid analysis (n = 6) and brain imaging (n = 5) in 11 patients at diagnosis, and four cases with CNS relapse were found. Thus, 15 patients had CNS involvement (15/46, 33%). The clinical characteristics were not different between patients with and without CNS involvement, but all patients with CNS involvement belonged to the high-risk group of CNS-International Prognostic Index (IPI). Thirty-one patients achieved a complete response (67%, 31/46) whereas eight patients showed disease progression and six patients died after the first or second cycle of R-CHOP. CNS-directed therapy such as high-dose methotrexate was combined with R-CHOP for patients with CNS involvement, and five patients were alive without relapse. The median overall survival of all patients was 45.0 months, and overall survival was not different according to the involvement of CNS.

CONCLUSION

The treatment outcome of patients with the Asian variant of IVLBCL is still not satisfactory. The prediction of CNS involvement based on the clinical features including CNS-IPI score might not serve to identify patients at high risk of CNS involvement, either. Thus, more effective strategies for diagnosis and treatment should be developed.

Intravascular Large B-cell lymphoma: A case series and review of literatures

Background

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a rare subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma with uncommon clinical presentations and poor prognosis. The purpose of this study is to report the clinical features and outcome of IVLBCL in a single institution of Taiwan.

Methods

Ten patients with IVLBCL diagnosed from June 2006 to January 2018 were retrospectively reviewed.

Results

The median age was 61 (range 39–88) years. The most common presentation was fever (90%), cytopenia (90%), and confusion (50%). For all patients, the median progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 12.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.0–76.1) and 18.8 (95% CI 0–59.3) months, respectively. Six patients received rituximab combined chemotherapy, and the other one patient was treated with chemotherapy alone. Six of seven (85.7%) patients achieved complete response after chemotherapy. The median PFS and OS for six patients who completed treatment were not reached. Three-year PFS and OS rates were 80% and 75%, respectively.

Conclusion

Our study showed that patients might achieve durable remission after rituximab-based chemotherapy. The outcome of IVLBCL patients may further improve if early diagnosis and prompt treatment were made.

Severe peripheral oedema as the only presenting symptom of intravascular large B-cell lymphoma: a diagnosis too frequently made on autopsy

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma is seen in less than one per million people and can be an extremely difficult antemortem diagnosis to make due to a vast diversity of presenting symptoms. We present a case of an otherwise healthy 74-year-old woman whose predominant symptom was pitting oedema, and who likely died from multiorgan failure after >14 months of extensive workup that was unable to secure a definitive diagnosis.

Pituitary Gland and Neurological Involvement in a Case of Hemophagocytic Syndrome Revealing an Intravascular Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma is a rare entity characterized by the proliferation of neoplastic lymphocytes in the lumen of small blood vessels and high mortality. Diagnosis of intravascular lymphoma is often delayed or established postmortem. Here, we report the case of a 48-year-old woman presenting hemophagocytic syndrome, with pituitary gland and neurological involvement. Diagnosis of intravascular large B-cell lymphoma was made on perisplenic vessels, while liver and bone marrow biopsy was noncontributive. This case demonstrates the importance of thorough histopathologic investigations in the setting of high suspicion.

[Clinical characteristics of intravascular large B cell lymphoma: a single-center retrospective study]

目的

提高对血管内大B细胞淋巴瘤（IVLBCL）的认识。

方法

回顾性分析北京协和医院自2010年1月至2016年6月收治的12例IVLBCL患者的临床资料。

结果

①12例患者中，男6例，女6例，中位年龄为58.5（32~76）岁。临床表现：发热最为常见（10/12），其次为呼吸系统症状（咳嗽、呼吸困难、胸腔积液等，6/12）、噬血细胞综合征（6/12）、神经系统症状（1/12）；所有患者均有LDH升高（367~1 700 U/L）、铁蛋白升高（805~1 527 µg/L）、结外器官受累（肺6例，骨髓3例，脑2例，软脑膜、肾上腺、副鼻窦、胆囊、甲状腺各1例）。②组织病理特征：光镜下可见分布于小血管内的单个或小簇状淋巴瘤细胞，毛细血管或血窦结构得以保留，免疫组化显示CD20、CD79a等B淋巴细胞标志阳性。③疗效及预后：11例患者接受CHOP或R-CHOP方案化疗，其总反应率为90.1%，完全缓解率为66.7%。患者平均随访20（1~40）个月，中位生存期及中位无进展生存期尚未达到。单因素Cox回归分析未能发现年龄、分期、IPI等临床参数与预后相关。

结论

IVLBCL临床罕见，出现肺部受累比例高，肺活检有较高阳性率；R-CHOP方案目前仍是最主要的治疗方案。

Small Cell Variant of Intravascular Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Highlighting a Potentially Fatal and Easily Missed Diagnosis

Context

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a rare non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma with a poor prognosis. While typically described as comprising large atypical cells restricted to the lumina of small blood vessels, it can show variability in cell size.

Objective

To report the clinicopathologic features of the IVLBCL with small cell morphology and discuss the practical implications of our findings.

Design

We searched our archives for all IVLBCL diagnosed in our institution for the last 25 years (1992–2017). Slides were reviewed independently by two hematopathologists.

Results

We found a total of 11 cases of IVLBCL. Bone marrow, brain, lymph node, pericardium, small bowel, and fallopian tube and ovary were the organs in which the lymphoma was initially diagnosed. One of the cases initially diagnosed in the marrow showed intrasinusoidal involvement by a small cell lymphoma; the diagnosis was confirmed by random skin biopsies showing intravascular large cells with the same phenotype. Retrospective review of the liver on this case also showed the intrasinusoidal involvement by the disease consisting of small cells. In another case, IVLBCL that was initially diagnosed in a small bowel biopsy was retrospectively found in a breast biopsy, but with small cell morphology.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that, in the presence of high clinical suspicion, IVLBCL should be high in the differential diagnosis when lymphoma is predominantly intravascular, even when the tumor cells are small. A timely diagnosis of this entity can be critical. Hence, awareness of a small cell variant of IVLBCL should be increased.