Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41852528›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in medicine2026

Hemophagocytic syndrome caused by Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus infection during neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer: a case report.

Kou Kanesada, Kazuhiko Yoshimatsu, Shuya Yano, Masaharu Higashida, Toshimasa Okada, Shunji Endo, Yoshinori Fujiwara, Tomio Ueno

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Kou KanesadaDepartment of Digestive Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan.
Kazuhiko YoshimatsuDepartment of Digestive Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan.
Shuya YanoDepartment of Digestive Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan.
Masaharu HigashidaDepartment of Digestive Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan.
Toshimasa OkadaDepartment of Digestive Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan.
Shunji EndoDepartment of Digestive Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan.
Yoshinori FujiwaraDepartment of Digestive Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan.
Tomio UenoDepartment of Digestive Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Immune dysregulation and excessive inflammatory responses can lead to hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) involving autologous blood cell phagocytosis, with fatal outcomes occurring in some cases. This case report describes an 80-year-old man who was simultaneously diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and rectal cancer and developed HPS during neoadjuvant chemotherapy for the latter. Case description: Treatment for DLBCL was initiated first, and six courses of rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) therapy were administered, which led to a clinical complete response of the lymphoma lesions. Following the completion of DLBCL treatment, preoperative chemoradiotherapy with tegafur-uracil/leucovorin (UFT/UZEL) was initiated for rectal cancer. On Day 18, a fever of 38.3 °C developed. Blood tests conducted on Day 24 revealed Grade 4 neutropenia and Grade 4 thrombocytopenia. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) preparation, antibiotic therapy, and recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin (rTM) were initiated as disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC) therapy. A poor therapeutic response was achieved, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) developed on Day 34. Imaging of the biopsied bone marrow confirmed that hemophagocytosis by macrophages was occurring. The patient was ultimately diagnosed with HPS. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections were identified, and treatment to combat the infections was initiated; however, the patient passed away on Day 37. Conclusion: It is important to consider the possibility of HPS, and diagnosis and treatment initiation should occur in a timely manner when fever of an unknown origin and decreased blood cell counts are observed during malignant disease treatment.

Indexed as

cytomegalovirus infectionEpstein–Barr virushemophagocytic syndromeneoadjuvant chemoradiotherapyrectal cancer

Identifiers

PMID41852528
PMCPMC12992004

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.