PERIPHERAL T-CELL LYMPHOMA ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19 INFECTION: A CASE REPORT

Abstract

Case Presentation: Female patient, 52 years old, diagnosed with COVID-19 in May 2021. During hospitalization for the treatment of COVID-19, she presented leukocytosis (40 thousand cells/mm3) and lymphadenopathy. Blood count before COVID-19 infection without changes. The signs and symptoms was investigated, and through biopsy, peripheral T lymphoma and bone marrow infiltration were diagnosed. Discussion: SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, which causes COVID-19 disease, is a new virus, whose infection and complications are not fully understood. Lymphoproliferative diseases represent a category of disorders in which lymphocytes proliferate in excessive amounts. One of them is peripheral T-cell lymphoma, which is a rare type of lymphoma, and develops from more mature forms of T-cells. Patients with lymphoproliferative diseases are considered immunocompromised due to compromised humoral immunity and cellular immunity. Therefore, they are vulnerable to several infections, including COVID-19. But little is known about COVID-19 infection when it accompanies or precedes lymphoproliferative disease. Lymphocytosis is an unexpected finding in patients diagnosed with COVID-19 infection. Many diseases have been associated with a propensity for developing lymphoproliferative diseases. However, there are few cases in the literature of patients with COVID-19 and lymphoproliferative diseases. Reports often involve patients with other underlying conditions that are known to be associated with the development of lymphoproliferative diseases. The presentation, clinical findings and therapeutic interventions in a lymphoproliferative disease patient, without other underlying conditions, in the context of COVID-19, is a topic to be discussed. Final Comments: There are few reports of patients with lymphoproliferative diseases during or shortly after COVID-19 infection, and the association is not clear. Although COVID-19 has been shown to be associated with hematologic alterations, further research is needed to determine whether lymphoproliferative diseases may also be a potential complication.