Autoimmune Haemolytic Anaemia Associated with Testicular Non-seminomatous Germ Cell Tumour (NSGCT): A Unique Paraneoplastic Presentation

Abstract

Paraneoplastic syndrome (PNS) is the rare manifestation of malignancy which presents as remote systemic features unrelated to direct tumour involvement. Often PNS can be the only presenting symptom of the cancer and may warrant search for underlying malignancy. Immune response against malignant cells sometimes cross reacts and destroys the normal cells. PNS can manifest at any point of time in course of malignancy, either it may presage diagnosis, or at relapse settings. Successful treatment of the malignancy is the key in managing PNS. Autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) is a common presentation of haematological malignancy, but rarely reported with malignant solid tumours. We, hereby, illustrate a rare association of AIHA as PNS in a case of testicular non-seminomatous germ cell tumour and its management along with review of literature. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such a case to be reported in the literature.