An effective treatment and suspicious adverse reaction to Ibrutinib in a patient diagnosed with splenic B-cell lymphoma/leukaemia with prominent nucleoli: A first case report

Rationale: Splenic B-cell lymphoma/leukemia with prominent nucleoli (SBLPN) is a new classification, which is so rare that it lacks clinical data.

Patient concerns: An increased proportion of prolymphocytes (84%) in the bone marrow smear. Whole exon sequence analysis revealed a TP53 mutation.

Diagnoses: Combining the clinical features with laboratory test results led to a diagnosis of SBLPN which was made according to the 5th edition of the WHO classification of hematolymphoid tumors, although the patient was diagnosed with B-PLL when guided by the 4th edition of the WHO classification.

Interventions: The use of Ibrutinib as an effective treatment.

Outcomes: The patient was in complete remission after 5 months of Ibrutinib and then died of sudden aortic dissection.

Lessons: Ibrutinib was an effective regimen for SBLPN. Aortic dissection might be considered as a suspicious adverse reaction to Ibrutinib.