Primary central nervous system lymphoma initially mimicking lymphomatosis cerebri: an autopsy case report.
A 59-year-old immunocompetent man was admitted to our hospital because of progressive dementia with concomitant bilateral uveitis. The first brain MRI revealed diffuse hyperintense lesions in the cerebral white matter of both hemispheres on a T2-weighted image and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery image. However, another MRI taken more than 1 month later revealed enhanced cohesive mass lesions in the bilateral thalami, in addition to the white matter lesions. The white matter lesions were slightly hyperintense on a diffusion-weighted image and apparent diffusion coefficient map image, suggesting vasogenic edema. One year after the onset of uveitis, he died of respiratory failure. Pathological diagnosis was diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with perivascular proliferation and diffuse scattered infiltration in the cerebrum and brainstem. Microscopically, cohesive mass lesions in the bilateral thalami were a massive cluster of lymphoma cells. This is a case of primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) mimicking 'lymphomatosis cerebri (LC)' at first but later exhibiting typical mass lesions, giving rise to the possibility that cases of LC might unmask features of regular lymphomas in their later course more often than believed thus far.
Sugie
Masayuki
M
Department of Neurology, Showa University School of Medicine, Hatanodai, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan. sugiegp02a@yahoo.co.jp
Ishihara
Kenji
K
Kato
Hirotaka
H
Nakano
Imaharu
I
Kawamura
Mitsuru
M
D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged