HIV-Associated plasmablastic lymphoma in pregnancy: a case report

Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is a rare and aggressive B-cell lymphoma associated with immunodeficiency states, primarily with HIV infection, and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). The coexistence of PBL and pregnancy represents an exceptional rarity. This article presents a clinical case of a 31-year-old patient with stage IV HIV infection (WHO clinical stage) without antiretroviral therapy (ART). At 25–26 weeks of gestation, the patient was diagnosed with generalized PBL involving the skin, lymph nodes, mammary glands, lungs, liver, and brain. The disease was complicated by disseminated pulmonary tuberculosis and cytomegalovirus infection, and ended with an unfavorable obstetric outcome – maternal death following cesarean section. This case illustrates the aggressiveness of PBL during pregnancy in the setting of profound immunodeficiency, emphasizing the importance of early HIV detection, initiation of ART in women of reproductive age, and a multidisciplinary approach to the management of such patients.