Reticulum cell sarcoma after renal homotransplantation and azathioprine and prednisone therapy

Two patients developed reticulum cell sarcomata after they had been treated with azathioprine and prednisone in the course of cadaveric renal transplantation. Both had terminal widespread herpes simplex virus infection.Immunosuppressive therapy could be responsible for an increased risk of malignant lymphomata either directly or by facilitating infection with oncogenic viruses.