TAFRO syndrome with abdominal pain as the first symptom accompanied by liver damage with hyperbilirubinemia: A case report

Abstract

Thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, reticulin fibrosis on bone marrow biopsy/renal dysfunction, and organomegaly (TAFRO) syndrome are infrequent conditions with diverse clinical and pathological characteristics related to multi-organ damage. There are few reports of TAFRO syndrome accompanied by liver damage with hyperbilirubinemia. We describe the case of a 61-year-old male who presented with sudden onset abdominal pain accompanied by liver damage with hyperbilirubinemia. His symptoms worsened, leading to fever, hepatic insufficiency, serous cavity effusions, thrombocytopenia, and acute renal failure. Fever and anasarca relapsed after steroid discontinuation. The patient was ultimately diagnosed with TAFRO syndrome by biopsies taken from the axillary lymph nodes. He was then administered steroids, which resolved his symptoms almost completely. Our case was notable for its atypical signs and total remission of TAFRO syndrome.

Keywords

• TAFRO syndrome
• Castleman's disease
• Liver damage
• Hyperbilirubinemia