Association of intestinal malignant lymphoma and ulcerative colitis

A 42-year-old woman with refractory ulcerative colitis (UC) developed ascites, pleural effusion, pretibial edema and severe anemia. Colonofiberscopic examination showed a bulky submucosal tumor in the sigmoid colon, which was histologically diagnosed as malignant lymphoma (diffuse large, B cell type). The lymphoma was resistant to chemotherapy. Autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) was effective; however, she died of severe infection after the second PBSCT. Although the association of intestinal lymphoma with UC is rare, lymphoma should be taken into consideration when the clinical course of UC is atypical or when UC is refractory to therapy.