Budd-Chiari syndrome and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) associated plasmacytoma in a patient with chronic active EBV infection.

A 42-year-old Japanese man with chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection initially responded to treatment with interleukin-2 (IL-2). Six months later he developed thrombosis in the hepatic veins, and Budd-Chiari syndrome associated with severe hepatic damage was diagnosed. He also developed a solitary EBV-positive plasmacytoma in the right femur. Since these rare complications occurred after long-term IL-2 therapy, the possibility that long-term IL-2 therapy might cause Budd-Chiari syndrome and liver damage as well as EBV-associated plasmacytoma is discussed.