Cancer Res Treat.  2007 Jun;39(2):88-91.

A Case of Organizing Pneumonia Associated with Rituximab

• Maeng CH
• Chin SO
• Yang BH
• Kim SY
• Youn HJ
• Cho KS
• Baek SK
• Lee S

Abstract

Rituximab is a human/murine chimeric anti-CD20 mono- clonal antibody used to treat CD20-positive B-cell non- Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Although most of the adverse effects associated with rituximab are usually reversible and temporary infusion-related reactions, including fever, chills, flushing and skin reactions, there are several reports of pulmonary events after long-term administration of rituximab. We present a case of asymp-tomatic nodular organizing pneumonia occurring during rituximab-based chemotherapy in a patient with non- Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Keyword

Rituximab; Organizing pneumonia; Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

MeSH Terms

B-Lymphocytes
Chills
Drug Therapy
Fever
Flushing
Hodgkin Disease
Humans
Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin
Pneumonia*
Skin
Rituximab

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Positron emission tomography images show focal hypermetabolic lesions in the apicoposterior segment of the left upper lobe (max SUV 2.2)(A) and in the anterior segment of the right upper lobe (max SUV 1.3)(B).

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  Fig. 2 Chest CT image. The each arrow indicates a nodular density in the left upper lobe with an irregular margin surrounding a ground-glass opacity (A) and subpleural nodule in the right upper lobe with similar characteristics (B), respectively.

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  Fig. 3 Video-assisted thoracoscopic wedge biopsy of lung lesion shows intraluminal organizing fibrosis (fibroblastic foci) with uniform temporal appearance and mild interstitial fibrosis (H&E stain ×200).

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