# Gelatinous Transformation of Bone Marrow Following Lymphoma and a Novel, Potential Treatment

## TL;DR

A rare bone marrow condition called gelatinous transformation was found in a lymphoma patient, and an experimental stem cell treatment showed some improvement but remains unproven.

## Contribution

This is the first reported case of allogeneic stem cell transplantation used as a potential treatment for gelatinous transformation of bone marrow.

## Key findings

- The patient showed clinical improvement after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.
- The long-term effectiveness and causality of the treatment remain uncertain.
- Gelatinous transformation of bone marrow is extremely rare, even among those needing bone marrow biopsies.

## Abstract

Gelatinous transformation of bone marrow (GTBM) is a rare hematologic condition in which hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow are replaced by extracellular gelatinous substances, often resulting in cytopenias. The true incidence of this condition is presently unknown, as the current body of literature primarily consists of case reports. However, an analysis of a large bone marrow registry suggests that this is a highly rare entity even among a population requiring bone marrow biopsy. We present a case of a 24-year-old man with a history of diffuse large B cell lymphoma and an associated 45-kilogram weight loss, who was later found to have GTBM. The extent of his cytopenias resulted in a prolonged hospitalization with numerous complications, eventually leading to experimental treatment with allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT). To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of GTBM in which ASCT was employed as a potential treatment modality. While our patient did have clinical improvement following ASCT, the permanence of these results is presently unclear. Furthermore, it is uncertain if the ASCT was truly causative of the stabilization of the patient. Given this, we are currently unable to advocate for ASCT as a treatment for GTBM. We report this case to raise awareness of this rare entity in the context of refractory cytopenias.