A case of Hodgkin's disease presenting a cardiac tamponade during treatment developed a pancytopenia after cessation of chemotherapy

There had been many reports about cardiac complications of patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) after cessation of treatment in Europe and the United States. However, cases of HD accompanied with these complications were extremely rare in Japan. We report a case with HD that developed a cardiac tamponade during the clinical course of chemotherapy and showed a pancytopenia after cessation of chemotherapy. The case was a 14 year-old boy with HD (nodular sclerosis) of anterior upper mediastinum origin. He received modified MOPP therapy and irradiation to the semimantle field and to the mediastinum. The total dose of radiation was 36.3 Gy. He suddenly developed a chest pain, chest discomfort, and dyspnea during the sixth course of chemotherapy. He was diagnosed to have a cardiac tamponade by thoracentesis. The symptoms were improved by continuous transcutaneous drainage. The invasion of HD into the effusion was not detected by cytology, and the chemotherapy was completed after one course. However, he gradually developed a macrocytic anemia and finally developed a pancytopenia. The bone marrow specimen revealed a hypoplasia without evidence of pathological cells. The karyotype of marrow derived cells was normal. With oxymetholone administration, the pancytopenia has improved in four months. He has now been doing well for five years after the cessation of therapy. (author)