Multiple medullary and extramedullary plasmocytoma in an HIV-infected female patient.

Introduction. - Before the HIV infection era, plasmocyte tumor rarely occur red in patients younger than 40 years of age. Less frequent than lymphomas, the incidence of these blood diseases has however substantially increased in HIV-infected patients. In these patients, in addition to onset at earlie r age, their clinical presentation is quite different and extramedullary pl asmocytomas in unexpected locations are more common. Exegesis. - We report the case of a 29-year-old HIV-infected female patient in whom were diagnosed occipital, parotidal, sphenoidal, epidural, and ute rine plasmocytomas for which chemiotherapy and subsequent radiotherapy were successful. The increase in the incidence of plasmocyte tumors in HIV-infe cted patients might be facilitated by Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) co-infection , HIV-related chronic antigenic stimulation, and secretion of interleukin 6 by infected lymphocytes. Conclusion. - Plasmocyte tumors belong to neoplasia whose incidence is incr eased in HIV infection. Their currently poor diagnosis should be improved b y highly active antiretroviral therapies allowing enhanced chemotherapy wit h possibility of autograft. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales El sevier SAS.