title: Cytologic monitoring of cerebrospinal fluid in the treatment of histiocytic lymphoma involving the central nervous system.
abstract: This is a report of an unusual case in which cytologic monitoring played a key role in the six-and-one-half-year survival of a 21-year-old woman with disseminated histiocytic lymphoma involving the central nervous system. At this writing the patient showed no further evidence of malignant disease. After primary diagnosis, remissions and exacerbations of the tumor were accurately detected by periodic cytologic examinations of 78 spinal fluid specimens. Therapeutic measures included total brain irradiation, implantation of an Ommaya reservoir and combination chemotherapy. This case study demonstrates that cytologic examination of cerebrospinal fluid is an important method of monitoring the responses of tumors to therapeutic measures.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine