Primary CNS lymphoma in the spinal cord: clinical manifestations may precede MRI detectability.
We report a 36-year-old woman whose first MRI after developing symptoms of cervical nerve root irritation was normal. Eight months later, after progression to tetraparesis and demonstration of an extensive contrast-enhancing intramedullary lesion giving high signal on T2-weighted images, the diagnosis of lymphoblastic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was made by biopsy. The lesion responded for a short time to corticosteroid medication, but later rapidly extended to the epidural soft tissues, probably due to a cerebrospinal fluid fistula. Despite radio-and chemotherapy, the patient survived only 7 months from histological diagnosis and 15 months from the onset of symptoms.
Herrlinger
U
U
Department of Neurology, University of Tübingen, Germany.
Weller
M
M
Küker
W
W
D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000209:etiology; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy