Lymphoma
General information
Key concepts
● may be primary (Primary central nervous system lymphoma) or secondary (pathologically identical)
● suspected with homogeneously enhancing lesion(s) in the central gray matter or corpus callosum (on MRI or CT) especially in AIDS patients
● may present with multiple cranial-nerve palsies
● diagnosis highly likely if tumor seen in conjunction with uveitis
● very responsive initially to steroids → short-lived disappearance (“ghost tumors”)
● treatment: usually XRT ± chemotherapy. Role of neurosurgery usually limited to biopsy and/or placement of ventricular access reservoir for chemotherapy
● risk factors: immunosuppression (AIDS, transplants), Epstein-Barr virus, collagen vascular diseases