Premium
Herpes lymphadenitis in association with chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Author(s) -
Higgins John P. T.,
Warnke Roger A.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19991001)86:7<1210::aid-cncr16>3.0.co;2-8
Subject(s) - medicine , fulminant , chronic lymphocytic leukemia , herpes simplex virus , lymph node biopsy , dermatology , leukemia , lymph node , pathology , immunology , virus
BACKGROUND Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections range in severity from common cutaneous outbreaks to life‐threatening central nervous system and deep organ involvement. HSV lymphadenitis is extremely rare but occurs both as a component of widely disseminated disease and as a localized, mild illness. METHODS Five patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) underwent lymph node biopsy and were found to have histologic and immunophenotypic evidence of HSV infection in association with CLL. RESULTS The patients were 3 males and 2 females ranging in age from 50 to 86 years. Only 1 patient had clinical evidence of cutaneous herpes at any time; in that patient, herpes lymphadenitis preceded the cutaneous herpes by 3 years. Four patients received no therapy for herpes at any time, whereas one was treated with intravenous and oral acyclovir. One patient died of CLL approximately 20 months after herpes lymphadenitis was diagnosed. The remaining four patients are alive with CLL. No patient had a fulminant clinical course related to HSV or developed disseminated infection. CONCLUSIONS Herpes lymphadenitis may not have a fulminant course even in immunosuppressed CLL patients, even if they receive no antiviral therapy. Cancer 1999;86:1210–5. © 1999 American Cancer Society.