Lymphoproliferative Disorders in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: Is It the Drugs or the Disease?

Introduction Systemic inflammatory diseases are related to an increased risk of lymphoproliferative disorders. Although inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was also associated with these conditions, population-based studies failed to demonstrate this relationship, and most studies only identified a very small number of cases. In the last few years, concerns arose regarding the role of thiopurines and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)-blocking agents in the development of lymphoma, influencing therapeutic decisions in IBD patients. The aim of this study was to describe a case series of IBD patients who developed a lymphoproliferative disorder in our tertiary referral centre.