A case of adult T-cell lymphoma leukemia with hemophagocytic syndrome.

A 62-year-old Japanese woman was admitted to our clinic with virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (VAHS) in subcutaneous adult T-cell lymphoma leukemia (ATLL). Bone marrow aspiration showed hypocellularity, histiocytic hyperplasia, and hemophagocytosis. There was serological evidence of chronic cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. The hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) initially improved by some treatments, and the patient later experienced remission several times, but the CMV infection persisted. Most cases of non-tumorous HPS in adults are associated with viral or bacterial infection, and underlying diseases in non-tumorous HPS are mostly blood diseases, especially T-cell lymphoma (1, 2), but ATLL is a rare underlying disease in such cases.