Articles

Sarcoidosis in a metastatic melanoma patient treated with the CTLA-4 inhibitory monoclonal antibody ipilimumab

BJMO - volume 6, issue 2, april 2012

V. Morlion , S. Wilgenhof , E. Vanderlinden , S. Hanon , F. Vandenbroucke , H. Everaert , Prof B. Neyns MD, PhD

A female patient with stage IV-M1c (lymph node and breast metastases), chemorefractory melanoma was treated with the CTLA-4 inhibitory monoclonal antibody ipilimumab. At first evaluation following induction treatment, a marked increase in the volume and strong uptake of 18FDG in her lymphadenopathies (including new adenopathies), a marked enlargement of her spleen and interstitial lung infiltrates were observed. Non-necrotising granulomas were discovered on transbronchial biopsy and cytology on broncho-alveolar lavage established the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. There was a marked clinical and 18FDG-PET/CT documented response following 6 weeks of corticotherapy. At later follow-up, progression of melanoma metastasis in the subdiaphragmatic lymph node metastases was documented. (BELG J MED ONCOL 2012;6:58–62)

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