Pregnancies after endolymphatic therapy of residual retroperitoneal Hodgkin lymphoma

Three young women with Hodgkin lymphoma (stage III and IV) had residual retroperitoneal lymphoma after 6 cycles of standard chemotherapy. To preserve fertility, chemotherapy was subsequently continued as a single endolymphatic injection of 60 mg Bleomycin in oily suspension (Oil Bleo). Except for slight, transient fever in one patient, no side effects occurred. Follow-up plain X-rays with lipoidal stained lymph nodes showed a marked reduction in size of the retroperitoneal lymphomatous lymph nodes in all 3 patients. Each woman became pregnant between 2 and 14 months after endolymphatic therapy and bore healthy infants. Two of the women remain free of disease. The third has had a recurrence in the neck and has been treated with second-line intravenous chemotherapy. Endolymphatic therapy of retroperitoneal lymphoma may achieve a satisfactory result in selected patients while preserving fertility.