A 52-year-old man presents with generalized erythroderma, skin nodules, hypercalcaemia and lytic bone lesions. WBC is 90,000/uL with large pleomorphic cells displaying multilobated cloverleaf nuclei. Serology for which virus establishes the underlying etiology?
- A Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 ✓
- B Epstein-Barr virus
- C Human herpesvirus 8
- D Hepatitis C virus
Correct answer: A. Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1
Explanation
Cloverleaf or flower cells with leucocytosis, hypercalcaemia, lytic lesions and skin involvement define adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma, caused by the retrovirus HTLV-1 and endemic in southwestern Japan, the Caribbean basin and parts of central Africa. EBV is linked to endemic Burkitt lymphoma and classical Hodgkin lymphoma, HHV-8 to primary effusion lymphoma and multicentric Castleman disease, and hepatitis C to splenic marginal zone lymphoma.
Reference: Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, 10th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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