Lymphocytic lymphoma, hypereosinophilia and endomyocardial fibrosis

A 32-year-old man presented with left hypochondrial pain and myalgia. On examination he was found to have widespread lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly, and lymph node biopsy revealed diffuse lymphocytic lymphoma of the small cleaved cell type. There was hypereosinophilia (20 x 10(9)/1). The patient was initially treated with chlorambucil and prednisone, which controlled the lymphoma for 9 months but did not affect the eosinophilia. He then developed thrombocytopenia with further lymph node enlargement which was managed with a combination of bleomycin, vincristine and prednisone; this again controlled both spleen and lymph node size without affecting the eosinophilia. Six months after presentation the patient developed refractory cardiorespiratory failure due to endomyocardial fibrosis and fibrosing alveolitis. The cardiac failure was thought to be related to the hypereosinophilia resulting from the lymphoma, while the respiratory insufficiency was attributed to the bleomycin. This case illustrates the rare association between lymphocytic lymphoma and eosinophilia and shows that cardiac damage can be associated with these cells.