Severe pancytopenia and intrahepatic cholestasis in a patient with a history of Hodgkin's disease. Responsiveness to high-dose pulse steroid therapy and diagnosis of a late relapse.

Abstract

A 47-year-old male, treated 7 years earlier for Hodgkin's disease (HD), was admitted with persistent fever, liver enlargement, and increased cholestasis parameters. He developed acute bone marrow failure and progressive worsening of his clinical condition and cholestasis markers without showing evidence of HD recurrence or second malignancy. High-dose intravenous pulse methylprednisolone therapy was given, after which resolution of pyrexia and progressive improvement in performance status and in hematological counts and cholestasis parameters were observed. During this phase, a bone biopsy showed HD marrow infiltration. This clinical course may reflect tumor cytokine-induced phenomena, significantly affected by high-dose steroids.