Development of multiple malignancies following long-term glucocorticoid therapy in a patient with leukocytoclastic vasculitis: A case report

Leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV) is a neutrophilic inflammation of the blood vessels. LCV may present as a paraneoplastic syndrome occurring before, synchronously with, or after the diagnosis of malignancy. In this study, we report a unique case of multiple malignancies developing simultaneously in a patient with a long history of LCV. The patient was originally diagnosed with LCV and received long-term glucocorticoid treatment. After 11 years of therapy, the patient developed three primary malignancies, including small-cell lung carcinoma, gastric adenocarcinoma and colonic adenocarcinoma. It is likely that LCV was not a paraneoplastic syndrome in this case, but rather an independent process, and the development of multiple cancers is likely associated with the long-term glucocorticoid treatment, which caused imbalance of the immune system. Although the development of cancer during the course of glucocorticoid treatment is very rare, clinicians must be aware of this possible association and immunodysregulation may play a role in this context.