title: Primary central nervous system lymphoma can be histologically diagnosed after previous corticosteroid use: a pilot study to determine whether corticosteroids prevent the diagnosis of primary central nervous system lymphoma.
abstract: The objective is to determine whether corticosteroid administration before biopsy prevents histopathological diagnosis of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). A retrospective review was performed of immunocompetent PCNSL patients from 1985 to 2005. A total of 109 patients was identified. Sixty-eight (63.6%) patients received corticosteroids before diagnosis. Thirteen patients (of 109; 12%) had undergone repeat brain biopsy to confirm PCNSL. These included 8 (of 68) patients who had received corticosteroids (12%), and 5 (of 39) who had not (13%) (p = 1.0). The majority of PCNSL patients who received corticosteroids before diagnosis did not experience significant radiographic change or require second biopsy for diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester MN, USA. porter.alyx@mayo.edu
authors.forename: Alyx B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giannini
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
authors.forename: Claudia F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Lucchinetti
authors.forename: Wenting
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Decker
authors.forename: John L D
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.forename: Brian Patrick
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: O'Neill
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000368:Aged; D016477:Artifacts; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones