Hodgkin lymphoma with hepatic involvement treated with dexametasone, gemcitabine and cisplatin as a bridge to standard therapy. Report of one case

The initial presentation of Hodgkin lymphoma with liver involvement is rare. In these patients, the standard first-line therapy with ABVD (Adriamycin, Bleomycine, Vinblastine, Dacarbazine) imply an additional risk for liver toxicity. We report a 64-year-old woman who presented with jaundice, choluria, malaise and weight loss. In the initial evaluation she had jaundice and palpable groin lymph nodes. An obstructive biliary disease was ruled out with magnetic resonance imaging studies. A lymph node biopsy showed a Hodgkin's lymphoma, Mixed-cellularity subtype. Considering the liver dysfunction, an alternative scheme of chemotherapy with dexamethasone, gemcitabine and cisplatin (GDP) was administered. After 4 cycles, a significant improvement in liver hepatic function tests was reached and a conventional chemotherapy (ABVD) was begun. While the literature provides some low toxicity protocols for patients with liver involvement, favorable results of our clinical case report allows us to postulate GDP as an alternative for salvage therapy in these patients. (Rev Med Chile 2012; 140: 902-905).