key: cord-0862455-2btmjbca
authors: Sollini, Martina; Gelardi, Fabrizia; Carlo-Stella, Carmelo; Chiti, Arturo
title: Complete remission of follicular lymphoma after SARS-CoV-2 infection: from the “flare phenomenon” to the “abscopal effect”
date: 2021-02-27
journal: Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging
DOI: 10.1007/s00259-021-05275-6
sha: f172ec3d8d2791956fbe6440dd73d42c76960721
doc_id: 862455
cord_uid: 2btmjbca

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In a 61-year-old patient affected from follicular lymphoma, endof-treatment [18F]FDG-PET/CT (panel B) revealed bilateral pneumonia suggestive for COVID-19, subsequently confirmed by a nasal swab. Simultaneously, images showed the shrinkage of a para-aortic lymph nodal lesion compared to baseline (arrows), consistent with a partial response to R-bendamustine (panels B-F vs A-E). Re-staging [18F]FDG-PET/CT, obtained after SARS-CoV-2 recovery, showed an increase in size and in [18F]FDG avidity of the para-aortic lesion, suggestive for progressive disease (panels C-G-I). During COVID-19 infection and after, he did not experience any symptoms [1] . Surprisingly, malignancy was excluded by CT-guided biopsy performed twice, and this finding was confirmed by a second follow-up scan showing a complete metabolic response (panels D-H).

Complete remission after a concurrent infection has been reported in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma [2] and Hodgkin lymphoma [3] .

The SARS-CoV-2 infection has proved to trigger an immune response. In this patient, the virus may have firstly induced a local "flare phenomenon" (panels C-G-I)-as typically observed in patients receiving immunotherapy-finally resulting in an "abscopal effect" (panels D-H). This report suggests a close interplay among COVID-19 infection, inflammation, and tumour biology. 

Asymptomatic versus symptomatic patients: [18F]FDG-PET/CT patterns and evolutionary track of COVID-19 associated vasculitis. Beyond Rheumatol

Complete spontaneous remission of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the maxillary sinus after concurrent infections

SARS-CoV-2-induced remission of Hodgkin lymphoma

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Infection and inflammation.