Spontaneous Remission and Concomitant Progression in a Patient with DLBCL

Abstract

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of lymphoma. Although DLBCL can be cured in more than half of all patients, up to 50% of patients become refractory to initial treatment or relapse after complete remission. We present a case of complete spontaneous remission of some tumors and concomitant newly developed tumors observed in a patient with relapsed DLBCL. Spontaneous remission of lymphoma without treatment is a rare phenomenon and can occur at baseline as well as in relapsed DLBCL. However, most patients who initially experience spontaneous remission later develop relapse. Thus, careful follow-up is required, and fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) allows monitoring of multiple lesions.

Keywords

• diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
• spontaneous remission
• FDG
• PET/CT