Sequential appearance of immunoblastic lymphoma and acute nonlymphocytic leukemia in a patient with...

Immunoblastic lymphoma developed in a patient diagnosed as having angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy 5 years earlier. Chemotherapy schedules including alkylating agents were administered for 1 year, resulting in subsequent remission of the lymphoma. Thirty months after the start of chemotherapy, preleukemic changes were observed in peripheral blood and bone marrow, and acute nonlymphocytic leukaemia (M5 of the FAB classification) was diagnosed shortly afterwards. The possible role of both chemotherapy and the immunodeficiency associated to angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy in the pathogenesis of the leukemia is discussed.