Successful tocilizumab treatment in a patient with human herpesvirus 8-positive and human immunodeficiency virus-negative multicentric Castleman's disease of plasma cell type nonresponsive to rituximab-CVP therapy.

We present and discuss the case of a HIV-negative female finally diagnosed upon histopathologic and molecular biologic evaluations with human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8)-positive multicentric Castleman's disease (MCD) of plasma cell type, but with no detectable HHV8-DNA in peripheral blood. She failed to respond to combination immunosuppressive therapeutic trials of corticosteroids and azathioprine, and neither an immunochemotherapy of rituximab-CVP (R-CVP) induced disease resolution. However, monoclonal anti-IL-6R antibody (tocilizumab) immunotherapy resulted in beneficial disease stabilization. A control lymph node biopsy indicated mild polyclonal plasmacytosis, and a negative HHV8 determination. The patient is still receiving tocilizumab. This case emphasizes the individual nature of MCD requiering more personalized disease management.