Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma complicated by invasive pulmonary aspergillosis : a rare presentation

We describe a patient with persisting fevers, a progressive pulmonary infiltrate, and high levels of serum lactate dehydrogenase. No underlying cause for these changes was found prior to her death despite extensive investigations. Postmortem tissue revealed invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and subsequent brain examination revealed vascular changes in keeping with intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL). On review, subtle yet extensive lymphomatous infiltrates involved the vasculature of multiple other organs, including the lungs. Aspergillosis is a relatively rare presenting feature of lymphoproliferative disorders, and IVLBCL is a rare subtype of diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma with, to our knowledge, very few case reports to date. Lymphoma should be considered in patients presenting with pneumonitis with bilateral lung infiltrates on imaging, with a high serum level of lactate dehydrogenase.