MALTOMA presenting with thrombocytopenia

Immune thrombocytopenia of malignancy is most frequently associated with lymphoproliferative disorders. Thrombocytopenia generally does not develop in MALT subtype of lymphoma (MALTOMA) unless the tumor has infiltrated the bone marrow. Cytopenias resulting from immunologic causes in patients with MALT lymphoma were rarely reported in the literature. In this report, a woman was diagnosed with stage IIE gastrointestinal MALTOMA. Bone marrow infiltration was not present. Patient also had thrombocytopenia, which did not improve after intravenous steroid treatment. Thrombocyte count increased after a single gamma-globulin infusion, and 6 cycles of chemotherapy were given every 21 days. The patient has remained in complete remission.