Hepatosplenic gamma delta T-cell lymphoma in a boy with visceral leishmaniasis: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Hepatosplenic gamma delta T-cell lymphoma is a rare peripheral T-cell lymphoma of cytotoxic T-cell origin with an aggressive clinical course. Chronic immunosuppression has been proposed as a possible pathogenetic mechanism. No association of hepatosplenic gamma delta T-cell lymphoma with visceral leishmaniasis has been described in the past. We describe a case of an adolescent boy with hepatosplenic gamma delta T-cell lymphoma with leukemic presentation, who was diagnosed to have visceral leishmaniasis, 9 months prior to presentation at our center. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of hepatosplenic gamma delta T-cell lymphoma with a prior history of visceral leishmaniasis in the medical literature. CASE PRESENTATION: A 13-year-old Indian boy presented to the hematology out-patient department with a history of progressive abdominal distension of 9 months’ duration and low grade fever of 2 months’ duration. He was a known case of visceral leishmaniasis and was treated with some clinical improvement in the past. However, his symptoms recurred and he was diagnosed to have hepatosplenic gamma delta T-cell lymphoma at our center. Cytogenetic analysis showed characteristic karyotype of isochromosome 7. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic antigen stimulation due to visceral leishmaniasis may have led to an expansion of gamma delta T cells in our patient, and immunophenotypic analysis of bone marrow aspirate and characteristic karyotype helped to achieve the diagnosis. The aim of this case report is to highlight the rare association of hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma with visceral leishmaniasis.