A case of concomitant lung cancer and autoimmune hemolytic anemia (aiha)

Abstract

A 79-year-old man developed palpitations on exertion ; severe anemia was found on blood testing. A diagnosis of autoimmune hemolytic anemia was made, and the patient was treated with prednisolone. A chest X-ray and chest CT revealed a solid tumor, 4.9 cm in size, located in the right lung. On histology, the transbronchial lung biopsy specimen showed evidence of pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma. A right lower lobectomy was successfully performed without the need of a blood transfusion since the patient's AIHA was well-controlled with prednisolone treatment. In this case, AIHA was considered to be part of a paraneoplastic syndrome that was related to the lung cancer.