ABSTRACT
Fever in malignant hematologic disorders is of considerable clinical significance. It may constitute a systemic manifestation of the disease, be related to treatment, or be associated with severe infections. Drugs used in the treatment of malignant hematologic disorders are an important cause of short-term pyrexia. They may cause a generalized allergic reaction with fever. Bacterial, viral, in particular cytomegalovirus and herpesvirus, fungal, and other opportunistic infections are the most common cause of fever in patients being treated for hematologic malignancies. Fever is more common at the initial presentation in Hodgkin’s Disease than in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). Infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with multiple myeloma and macroglobulinemia. Treatment with interferon has dramatically changed the prognosis of patients with Hairy Cell Leukemia. The appearance of unexplained fever during the course of low-grade NHL may signify its transformation into a more malignant histological pattern.
