Acute Myocardial Infarction after First Dose of Rituximab Infusion

To the Editor, Rituximab (anti-CD20) is a chimeric monoclonal antibody and is commonly used in treatment of various lymphomas and nonmalignant immune disorders. Infusion reactions are common following rituximab administration. Cardiotoxicity with rituximab is less frequent, but occasionally arrhythmia is reported. We report here an acute myocardial infarction following the first rituximab infusion for the treatment of splenic lymphoma with villous lymphocytes (SLVL). A previously healthy 65-year-old male presented to our hospital in May 2013 with a 6-month history of fatigue and a feeling of fullness over the left side of his abdomen. Clinical examination revealed ECOG performance status of 1 at the time of first visit, mild pallor, and massive splenomegaly