Simultaneous occurrence of Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma: A case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) is a type of hematological neoplasm that generally appears alone, with a low incidence. The majority of cases histopathologically present as B-cell lymphoma. Multiple myeloma (MM) is defined as the neoplastic proliferation of a single clone of plasma cells producing a monoclonal immunoglobulin (Ig). The coexistence of HL and MM is rare, however, the present study reports such a case. On May 31, 2012, a 45-year-old man was diagnosed with HL, stage III, 31 months ago. At the same time, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed osteolytic lesions, a significant increase in IgA λ chains, and multiple myeloma cells on bone marrow aspiration. Following 8 cycles of chemotherapy, the patient received maintenance treatment with thalidomide and dexamethasone. During 2 years of follow-up, the patient has maintained a complete response for HL and a stable disease state for MM. The coexistence of HL and MM is rare. Further study of such cases may explain the associations between these two tumors and aid the production of effective treatment options.