Abstract
With the increasing number of case reports of malignant lymphoma occurring subsequent to autoimmune diseases, a relationship between immuno-deficiencies as the background of autoimmune diseases and the development of malignant lymphoma has been noticed.
Two cases of malignant lymphoma occurring in the course of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were reported. The two cases are as follows:
Case-1 is a 62-years-old housewife. In 1965 she suffered from pain in the joints of both hands and morning stiffness. RA-test showed strong positive, and was treated by non-steroid analgesics. In January 1982 she noticed the swelling of the lymphnodes in the right neck and both axilla. Examination of the lymphnodes showed malignant lymphoma (diffuse, large cell type). At this time RA-test was negative.
Case-2 is a 65-years-old housewife. Since 1974 she suffered from RA and was given non-steroid analgesics. In August 1982 she noticed swelling of the lymphnodes in the right neck. Pathological diagnosis of biopsied lymphnode was Hodgkin's lymphoma. At this time RA-test became negative.
