Author(s)

Maria Caixas Lima^1*, Pedro Vasques¹, Andreia Paulos¹, André Valente², Joana Santos³, Carla Antunes⁴, Matilde Gonçalves⁴, Maria Isabel Casella¹, Nuno Luis¹, José Poças¹

¹Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospital de São Bernardo, Centro Hospitalar de Setúbal, Setúbal, Portugal.
²Department of General Surgery, Hospital de São Bernardo, Centro Hospitalar de Setúbal, Setúbal, Portugal.
³Department of Hematology, Hospital de Santo António dos Capuchos, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Central, Lisboa, Portugal.
⁴Department of Anatomical Pathology, Hospital de São Bernardo, Centro Hospitalar de Setúbal, Setúbal, Portugal.

Background: Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a lymphoid proliferation related to Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus 8/human herpesvirus 8 (KSHV/HHV8) that affects mainly human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected individuals but can also occur in other immunodeficiency settings. It is characterized by lymphomatous effusions in different serous body cavities without the presence of a detectable tumor mass. The diagnosis is challenging and the clinical outcomes are poor. Aim: The aim of this paper is to report a rare case of PEL in a man who have sex with women (MSW) with HIV-1/2 infection, history of visceral Kaposi sarcoma (KS) and the development of a seronegative arthritis previous to the lymphoproliferative disease diagnosis. PEL presented with ascites, was treated with high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation, with a good clinical outcome. Case Presentation: We describe a case of a 48-year-old HIV-1/2-infected patient from a high HHV8 seroprevalent country, hospitalized following a three-month history of increased abdominal volume and general constitutional symptoms. Laboratory data revealed normocytic normochromic anemia and a high level of lactate dehydrogenase. A diagnostic paracentesis was performed with cytology compatible with high-grade B-cell lymphoma. Peritoneal fluid cytology showed large lymphoid cells expressing leucocyte-common antigen CD45 without expression of the CD20 antigen (B-lymphocytes) and positivity for HHV8 by immunocytochemical staining, compatible with the diagnosis of PEL.

Primary Effusion Lymphoma, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV-1, HIV-2, Kaposi Sarcoma Herpesvirus 8/Human Herpesvirus 8, People Living with HIV

Lima, M. , Vasques, P. , Paulos, A. , Valente, A. , Santos, J. , Antunes, C. , Gonçalves, M. , Casella, M. , Luis, N. and Poças, J. (2023) Primary Effusion Lymphoma in a HIV-1/2-Infected Patient. World Journal of AIDS, 13, 116-124. doi: 10.4236/wja.2023.133010.