[A case of primary cardiac lymphoma complicated by idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura].

An 80-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for investigation of left pleural effusion. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest revealed a tumor mass in the right anterior ventricular wall. Whole-body CT scans showed no extracardiac lesions. Scintigraphy with 67Ga citrate showed tracer accumulation in the heart and no accumulation in other regions. The cytology of the pleural effusion was consistent with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Primary cardiac lymphoma (PCL) was diagnosed. The tumor mass showed a marked reduction in size after 3 cycles of chemotherapy, but thrombocytopenia unrelated to bone marrow failure appeared. Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) was suspected and prednisolone therapy was begun, and ultimately brought about a partial remission. To date, no cases of ITP associated with PCL have ever been reported. Autoimmune disorders are occasionally associated with malignant lymphoma. No other case of the development of ITP as a complication of PCL could be found in the literature.