Gastrointestinal Perforation after Rituximab Therapy in Mantle Cell Lymphoma: A Case Report

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), responsible for 2.8% of all NHL cases within the United States. The majority of patients with MCL present with advanced disease, 10–20% of which have extra-nodal involvement at diagnosis. The gastrointestinal presence of lymphoma can lead to gastrointestinal perforation, resulting in significant morbidity from peritonitis and sepsis while prolonging hospitalizations and delaying treatment. In this case we discuss a 55-year-old male with newly diagnosed MCL who developed peritonitis 9 days after initiation of dose reduced rituximab due to gastrointestinal perforation. Although prognostication factors for MCL such as the mantle cell lymphoma international prognostic index (MIPI) score exist, further research is needed to stratify risk factors for morbid treatment complications such as gastrointestinal perforation.