title: Glucocorticoid-induced long-term remission in primary cerebral lymphoma: case report and review of the literature.
abstract: We report a 25-year old immunocompetent woman with a high grade primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the central nervous system (PNHL-CNS) in whom the administration of dexamethasone alone during three months produced a complete clinical and radiological response lasting over four years. If complete remission of PNHL-CNS induced by glucocorticoids are well known, the opportunity to observe glucocorticoid-induced remission for a long period of time without radio- and chemotherapy is rare. Only nine other cases of PNHL-CNS with complete remission induced by glucocorticoids lasting from 6 to 60 months, were found in the literature and are summarized here. Duration of glucocorticoids therapeutic effect in PNHL-CNS is probably underestimated. Glucocorticoids cannot be recommended as sole initial treatment for PNHL-CNS. However, we suggest standard therapies to be delayed in those patients responding completely to glucocorticoids where radio- and chemotherapy should be contraindicated (kidney, liver, bone marrow failure, pregnancy).
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pirotte
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levivier
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goldman
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Brucher
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brotchi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hildebrand
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids