We present the case of a 53-year-old woman with prefibrotic stage primary myelofibrosis (PMF) who underwent cord blood transplantation. Nine years after transplantation, she relapsed, which was confirmed by a bone marrow examination. We decided to treat her using azacitidine. After three courses of azacitidine, a partial cytogenetic response was confirmed. Azacitidine maintenance therapy successfully maintained a low level of recipient-origin peripheral blood cells with a stable hematological condition. Azacitidine may therefore be a promising therapeutic option for PMF patients who relapse after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

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Background Toxoplasmosis is a rare but life‐threatening infection occurring in immunocompromised hosts, including allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo‐HSCT) recipients. However, thus far, the clinical features and incidence of toxoplasmosis in autologous HSCT (auto‐HSCT) recipients remain unknown. This retrospective survey aimed to analyze 152 patients who received auto‐HSCT between 1998 and 2017. Methods Serological tests for Toxoplasma gondii‐specific IgG were performed on 109 (71.7%) recipients, and 12 pre‐HSCT recipients (11%) were Toxoplasma seropositive. Among the 12 recipients, three who did not receive trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) prophylaxis developed cerebral, pulmonary or disseminated toxoplasmosis due to reactivation after auto‐HSCT and died despite treatment. Results The incidences of toxoplasmosis were 2% and 25% among 152 auto‐HSCT recipients (five recipients received auto‐HSCT two times) and 12 pre‐HSCT Toxoplasma seropositive recipients, respectively. Further, we conducted a literature review and identified 21 cases of toxoplasmosis following auto‐HSCT. In these previous cases, the mortality rate was high, especially for pulmonary and disseminated toxoplasmosis. Our findings suggest that, similar to toxoplasmosis after allo‐HSCT, toxoplasmosis after auto‐HSCT is a fatal complication. Conclusions Serial screening of T. gondii‐specific IgG before HSCT could contribute to the detection of Toxoplasma reactivation and allow for prompt diagnosis and treatment. The present study is the first to reveal the incidence of toxoplasmosis after auto‐HSCT among seropositive patients in Japan.

This is a report of successful management for a far advanced, chemorefractory testicular cancer patient. A 29-year-old male was referred to our hospital for the treatment of progressive lung metastases with elevated hCG level, which had recurred after complete remission following 3 courses of BEP chemotherapy and progressed after transient partial regression following 2 courses of intensified EP chemotherapy. In addition, a 3 cm in diameter, solitary brain metastasis was detected on CT. First, we performed wedge resection of bilateral pulmonary lower lobe for chemorefractory pulmonary metastases. Histological examination revealed viable embryonal carcinoma identical to the primary one. Thereafter, whole brain irradiation in combination with VIP chemotherapy (etoposide 100 mg/m2, cisplatin 20 mg/m2 and ifosfamide 1200 mg/m2 daily for 5 consecutive days) was carried out to treat brain metastasis. By 2 cycles of VIP therapy and irradiation (36 Gy), partial tumor regression and normalization of hCG level were achieved, leading to salvage surgery of the brain metastasis which histologically proved to be necrosis. Following an additional cycle of VIP therapy, the patient has been free of recurrence 24 months after completion of the treatment.